Poisonous Path
by tessinciucy
Summary: This story takes place one year after the events of Burned out. The usual case of a dead marine and a famous international killer are keeping the team very busy. When a woman from Kensi's past gets involved, things becomes even more complicated. Rated T just to be sure... soon I'll understand this rating thing, for now, sorry about it.
1. Chapter 1

So here I am, starting a new journey in the NCIS LA world. I promise I'll be good this time... at least better than the last time. You have my word.

As I said in the summary this story takes place more or less one year after the events of Burned out, so there will be references to what happened in that one.

Usual disclaimers apply here: I don't own anything, the characters of NCIS LA are not mine, I just like to play with them. Mistakes (sadly) are still mine.

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Poisonous Path - Chapter 1

The woman touched his bare skin and the man couldn't suppress a pleasured shiver. She was the most beautiful, sexy thing he had ever seen and now she was here, with him, sending him on the edge of madness every time her hands traced the lines of his muscular body.

"I want you" she whispered in his ear, biting it playfully, her warm breath simply exciting "I want you now"

She was on top of him, his manhood reacting to her movements, feeling his desire, his longing for her, his lust.

"I want you too" he murmured capturing her lips with his moth, letting his tongue playing with hers, exploring hers. He couldn't resist … not anymore. He need to feel himself inside of her, hearing her moaning of pleasure because of him. Cupping her buttocks with his willing hands, he felt her allowing him inside.

"Oh God" she moaned, dictating the rhythm, her hands continued their exploration of his toned body, her mouth never left his.

The man was simply ecstatic, all the cells of his brain were reacting at unison, exploding with passion. He wanted to control himself, he didn't want this to end too soon.

He heard her cry of pure and complete pleasure and so he knew that all of his efforts to prolong this moment were vain. With a last, long cry, he let it go… it was like an explosion of all of his senses, a burst of pure satisfaction…

It was then that he felt it. A stabbing and excruciating pain in his chest. It was so intense that he couldn't breathe.

"Wh…" he tried to ask but not a word came out of his mouth, his throat clenched in a tight vice. Then… all of the sudden, a new flash of excruciating agony. He screamed this time, arching his back.

No, this was not happening, he thought. "He..lp… me…" he murmured as his hand looked for hers. But it didn't make it.

With one last muffled cry, he closed his eyes, succumbing to darkness. The last thing he saw, the last thing impressed in his memory was her face, her eyes looking straight at him.

She was smiling…

* * *

It was early morning when Callen and Sam walked into the bullpen discussing animatedly.

"Sam, how many times do I have to tell you that I'm sorry?"

"Not enough" the ex-Seal simply replied looking a bit upset.

"Hey, it wasn't entirely my fault! If you didn't hit the brakes the way you did, I wouldn't have spilled my coffee on your car!" protested Callen, smirking.

Sam stopped walking abruptly, putting a hand on his friend's chest "What are you doing, G? Turning things up and down? Because… it's not working!" he paused a little, getting closer to his partner "And you spilled your coffee not only on my car but even on me… on my favorite shirt!"

"Your favorite shirt? You have at least three of the same color… and of the same model!"

Sam stared at him, narrowing his eyes "So that one was the favorite of those three…"

Callen shook his head, rolling his eyes in disbelief "You won't let me win this one, will you?"

"No way!"

They arrived at their desks surprised to find Kensi already there. She usually came in later than they did and most of the time she was carpooling with Deeks, that meant arriving late, later than everyone else.

"Morning Kensi" Callen greeted her, using it as an excuse to escape his upset partner.

"Hey Callen, Sam" she replied smiling "What were you discussing about so animatedly?" she asked, then after noticing Sam's wrinkled T-shirt, she added "Nice shirt Sam"

Sam mocked her, making a face "It's G's fault! He decided to spill his coffee all over my car... and, not to mention, all over my favorite shirt!"

"Oh no... the red one?" Kensi pretended to be shocked, but she was finding hard not to laugh.

"Yes!" the ex-Seal exclaimed before her partner could finish the sentence for him.

"One of the three identical ones he has..."

"Actually, he has two now..." Kensi teased them.

"Oh come you two!" Callen sat down in his chair casting a glance at the empty desk in front of him "Where's Deeks?" he wondered curiously.

Both Sam and Callen looked at their friend who was playing nervously with her hands, waiting for her to give them an answer "Hetty sent him to Dr. Morrow"

"Is he ok?" it was G who asked first, beating his partner just for a second.

"Yeah... I think so" Kensi's answer didn't sound entirely convincing, she noticed the skeptical glances her two friends gave her "What? I..."

Callen simply raised his eyebrows while Sam narrowed his eyes "Anything that we should know?" demanded the team leader.

Kensi sighed, inhaling deeply, before starting "Well, it's been almost a year since... since Deeks lost it here and for what I've seen so far he's really doing good. He's back to be... Deeks, the one we all know... but he's been officially summoned to appear on court for the trail against Tan and his organization. Hetty was afraid some old memories might re-surface, haunting him again and affecting him and his job. So as a prevention she practically ordered him to go and see his therapist"

"Do you think he's ok with that?" asked Callen as a little shiver ran down his spine remembering what happened almost a year ago between him and Deeks.

"If for ok you mean that he is not going to snap as he did, well I think he's really ok. But if for Ok you mean that he's not affected by this whole story, well... in this case I'm not so sure..." she paused, her mismatched eyes locked on her friend's blue ones "I was with him when he opened the letter and trust me, for a moment I thought he was not breathing... but I suppose that after everything he went through, this could be a normal and expected reaction"

"If Hetty sent him to the shrink, it would be something he needed. That woman is always too far ahead of us..." added Sam confidently.

Before one of his friends could reply, a loud whistle resounded in the air "Guys, your presence is highly required in my humble abode" Eric opened his arms theatrically as he wanted to welcome them "A new occurrence is in deep need of solving and your duty is calling you like a chimera"

The three agents exchanged a puzzled look before getting up from their desks and climbing up the stairs.

"Are you sure you're ok Eric?" Kensi wondered with skepticism "You look like you ate a dictionary..."

"I just thought that being more formal made me look more professional" the tech explained smiling satisfied.

"Oh well in that case you better start changing your attire... you look like a five years old boy with those shorts" Sam told him, shaking his head in disbelief "Surfer Santa? Be glad Deeks is not here or you will never hear the end of it... "

"Deeks is not here? What... what happened?"

"Don't worry Mr. Beale, Mr. Deeks will be here soon" Hetty appeared behind Eric, making him jerk "If you could follow your own advice now... your duty is calling you like a chimera"

The three agents couldn't suppress a chuckle that turned into a big smile as they passed by the computer tech.

"Come on Eric, time for your show" Callen was still smiling when he walked into Ops "Hey Nell, what do we have?"

Nell nodded looking a bit embarrassed though, afraid of stealing Eric's moment of glory. So, she temporized, waiting for everyone to be in the room. She pressed a couple of buttons of her pad and the blue room took life.

A photo of the dead body of a man appeared on screen and according to its condition, it seemed that it had spent a lot of time in the water. The face was swallow and there were marks that covered several body parts.

"Who's our friend?" wondered Sam studying the images on the screen very intently.

"Guys..." Eric intervened joining Nell in the middle of the room "...please meet Sergeant Bernard Flemmings, 32 years old. He worked for a unit of Marine researchers whose job is the development of new weapons, especially stealth weapons for military vehicles."

"I'm sure you all understand the importance of this case. If Sergeant Flemmings' death is any way connected to his work, the consequences might be extremely grave" Hetty said with a very serious tone. "Please, continue Mr. Beale"

"Right… well, his body has been found floating in a pool in one of the most exclusive residences of Beverly Hills. The house belongs to Brent Carlsson, the owner of the most important shipping company of the whole State; they are able to deliver any kind of goods to and from Europe in less than two days. When the company first appeared on the market it was a real blast"

"Do we know if Flemmings was in any way related to Carlsson?" Kensi wondered studying the Flemmings' face on the screen, something felt immediately off to her.

"Actually… no" Nell answered promptly "No connection, at least no one that we're aware of. We'll run some research to see if something will surface"

"What is really interesting though…" Eric intervened "…is the cause of death"

"Didn't he drown?" Callen objected curiously, his internal alarm bell started ringing loudly.

"According to LAPD's preliminary examination, Flemmings was already dead when he fell into the pool. There was no trace of water in his lungs" explained the tech "Actually, they presume he died of… heart attack"

"How could a 32 years old trained and checked Marine die of heart attack? This sounds a bit strange" it was Sam's turn to be suspicious.

"And this is when the interesting part starts" Nell smiled cunningly, sure that what she was going to reveal could catch the others' attention "It seems that our Sergeant Flemmings was entertaining himself in a very enjoyable activity… right before his death"

"He had …sex?" Kensi asked showing a renewed interest "Do we have any trace of DNA?"

"Yes… and no" Eric remarked, titling his head, smiling like a baby "…but we have something more… more captivating"

All the people gathered in the room looked at him, furrowing their brows with curiosity.

"Come on Eric, don't turn around things. Straight to the point please" Sam exhorted him.

"Forensics found a high dose of hydrocyanic acid and oxalic acid mixed with cocaine in Flemmings' blood"

"Enough to cause a heart attack" mumbled the ex-Seal.

"More than enough. The fact that the body has been in the pool for such a long time is making hard to determine the time of death" Nell continued, giving another bit of information.

"Why do I have this sense of déjà vu?" Callen narrowed his eyes as he was trying to find something in the back of his mind.

"Yeah I have the same feeling" Sam echoed.

"Have you ever heard of Poison Mary?" Nell asked gingerly.

"The famous international killer…" stated Kensi gravely.

"Yes, the modus operandi is the same. Another victim died after a night of wild sex, a little bit of poison and a little bath…" Eric said, in spite of the gravity of the situation, he couldn't hide a little smile.

"Mr. Beale, I'm glad you find this situation slightly amusing, but this killer, this woman, is extremely dangerous. No one has ever seen her, no one has the slightest idea of what she looks like. This gives her a great advantage… so there's nothing to smile about"

The computer tech looked embarrassed and ashamed "Sorry, I didn't mean to be… disrespectful, I was just…"

Hetty stopped him before he could go on any further "Mr. Callen, Mr. Hanna you go to the crime scene and see if you could find out further details about it… and Miss Blye, since your partner hasn't shown up yet, it could be opportune for you to go with them. Once Mr. Deeks will be here, you two will go to interview Sergeant Flemmings' sister" she instructed her team, her voice steady and firm "I don't want to repeat myself but if this case was linked to Sergeant Flemmings' expertise, this would be very dangerous, for all of us. The projects he was working on were extremely secret and could change the sorts of every war or military action. So please, be careful and get me some results"

"On it" the three agents replied in unison, all of them aware of the seriousness of this case. They stepped out of Ops and moved downstairs.

"Mr. Beale, Miss Jones… try to collect all the information about Sergeant Flemmings, on his family and of course on Brent Carlsson too. We can leave nothing to chance" the Operations Manager instructed, turning on her heels and leaving the room as well.

"So… where do we start?" Eric asked.

"I'll leave the bank accounts, credit cards, everything about… money to you. I'll get the family…" Nell smiled while sitting at her own computer and starting tapping on the keyboard.

"Sounds like a plan" and with that the tech did it as well.

It was going to be a long day.

* * *

So... is it worth going on writing it? Just let me know...because this is going to be a long journey.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks to everyone who took the time to read the first chapter of this journey, I truly appreciated it!

Ok Chapter 2 is up... and Deeks is back, almost...

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Poisonous Path - Chapter 2

Dr. Richard Morrow observed his patient sitting right in front of him. In the past year he had learnt to understand every single movement, his body language, his expressions, even the way he was positioned in the chair. Marty Deeks didn't have any secrets for the therapist and today, Dr. Morrow could say that his patient was clearly nervous, clearly bothered by something.

"So, Marty, how are you feeling today? I was a bit surprised when Hetty called me to fix an appointment with you. I thought everything was going on pretty well" the doctor put on his glasses that shielded his pale green eyes. He was a big man, in his late fifties, probably early sixties, with a bush of black hair and a beard of the same color, with a kind smile that always helped to put his patients at ease. He was an old friend of the NCIS Operations Manager and in the past year he had taken care of Detective Deeks, helping him to go back to his own self after his psychological and physical breakdown. For what he knew, there weren't any signs of a relapse, so Hetty's call had caught him a bit off guard.

"I am fine… well more or less" smiled Deeks, shifting position on the chair "But I think Hetty has become a little bit more, if it was possible, protective towards me"

"And is this a good or a bad thing?" insisted the doctor.

A huge grin brightened up the cop's whole expression, reaching his blue eyes "It's good… I'm just not used to this. Not yet. It's not that people have always cared too much about me"

"You should know by now that your team deeply care about you, this should not be a surprise anymore"

"Oh no, don't misunderstand me… I know they care and I truly appreciate it, but… it takes time to get used to it. That's it" the smile died on Deeks' lips and he became very serious "I… I received a letter the other day"

"And this has affected you, hasn't it?" the therapist studied his patient, sensing the little hint of fear in his eyes "Would you like to talk about it?"

Deeks got up abruptly, walking to the window and casting a look outside "I… I have to appear in court for the trial against Tan's organization"

"Are you afraid of it?" Dr. Morrow could see his patient's shoulders hunched under an invisible weight.

"I'm afraid of… the memories, yes, but… well, I…" the cop's hand held the windowsill, tightly, his knuckles whitened for the effort "What if I…" a knot clenched his throat "I'm afraid of… losing myself, again. What if being there would trigger all the bad memories? What if…" he had to stop because a mix of unwanted emotions was flowing inside of him.

"Marty, I know it's going to be hard, but the fact that you are doubting yourself is a good sign. It means that your subconscious is sending you some messages and that you're trying to understand them. It would have been worse if you didn't have any doubts at all… because it would mean that you didn't have processed what happened to you last year…" the doctor said in a calm but steady tone, sounding reassuring "…and between me and you, I have the feeling that everything will go well. I don't doubt it'll be tough for you, but remember, you're not alone anymore in this"

His words touched the right chords in his patients who turned around and stared directly at him, with a bitter smile planted on his face "I'm glad to hear someone trusts me more than I trust myself"

Dr. Morrow stood up, walking closer to his patient "Look, Marty, I'm telling you this because I worked with you in the past year, I saw your progresses, I saw every little change in your behavior and believe me when I say, you're stronger than you can imagine… what's that sayin'? What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger…" he winked cunningly, drawing a full smile from the other man.

"Yeah, people use to say that…"

"Marty, do you mind me answering a question?" the doctor asked hopefully.

"Of course, you do that all the time…" Deeks furrowed his brows; even if he should be used to Morrow's questions, he was still very anxious about them.

"How do you feel about your teammates? For what I understand you trust them… but what do you think they… feel about you?" the doctor observed his patient's face darkening a bit as he was fighting an internal conflict.

The cop sighed heavily before starting "Well, I… think they trust me as well, but…"

Noticing his hesitation, Dr. Morrow pushed Deeks a bit more "But what Marty? Are you uneasy around them?"

"No… not uneasy, it's just that… that sometimes I have the feeling that they see me as I am made of crystal, that… I could break at any moment. They didn't go hard on me as they did in the past… like they are afraid to hurt me"

"But you don't mean only physically, do you?"

Deeks' eyes closed a bit, clear sign that his therapist had touched again the right button "Yeah… I mean Sam is all mother hen on me, I don't even remember the last time he teased me or mocked me, Callen is over protective, careful of everything he said, to every spoken and non-spoken word… I understand their point since I… I aimed a gun at Callen" he paused a bit when his voice cracked a little "But… how could I prove myself that I'm truly ok when they treat me like I'm not?"

Dr. Morrow nodded, going back to his desk and writing down some notes "And what about Kensi? What about your partner?"

"She… she's Kensi" the cop said with a sweet voice "I know she's worried about me, that she's afraid to see me hurt again, but I'm sure that she is aware that I will always have her back. Sometimes I have the sensation that she's the only person who could truly see me for what I am almost as much as I can see through the shield she uses to protect herself from the rest of the world" a little smile curved his lips.

"Have you tried to talk to them about your feelings? About everything you just told me? Maybe… it could be a good starting point to take your partnership/friendship back to where it was one year ago"

"I'm not exactly good when it comes to talk about personal feelings…" Deeks scratched his head deflecting his uneasiness "…and maybe they are ever worse than me" he chuckled at the thought "Wow, what a bunch of weird people we are"

"Not weird, just right…" the doctor stared directly at his patient's eyes, sensing the curiosity towards his late statement "Have you ever thought that maybe you work so well together because you're right to one another, you completed one another…"

The cop bowed his head, processing what he had just heard "Yeah… maybe…" then lifting his glance he added "So you think this is why Hetty put us together"

Dr. Morrow burst out laughing "Remember Marty. Everything Hetty does, every decision she takes, every single action, has a purpose" realizing that once again his words were making his patient reflect a lot, the doctor went on "So, back to us, my personal and professional advice is don't shut your friends off, especially now that you're going to go through a rough period. Ask for their help if you need it and don't face anything alone if you're not sure of yourself or of your possible reactions… but mostly tell them what you truly feel about the way they're behaving around you, about the way they are treating you. I'm pretty sure that they are not even realizing doing it" he paused a moment giving Deeks a second to process his statement "And they are doing it only because they care…"

An amused smile appeared on the young man's features "I… I think so… Ok, I better get going now. I think there are some bad guys out there to catch"

"I'm afraid you're right" the doctor looked intently at his patient, they had gone through a rough journey together, tortuous and full of difficulties, but he was pleased of the outcome. Marty Deeks was probably not yet the man he was before, but he was different and maybe even stronger now and mostly, as Morrow told him hundreds of times, he was not alone anymore "Feel free to call me, whenever you need it. You know where to find me"

"Thanks doc" the cop nodded, a simply gesture that said more than thousands of words, that showed all of his gratitude. He turned around and walked out of the door.

"You're welcome Marty" Dr. Morrow told him, even if his patient was already gone.

* * *

Kensi checked her phone for the umpteenth time, a bit disappointed not to find a message or a call from her partner. She had hoped that he could call her, even if only to tell her that he was running late or to let her know he was ok. Probably her face couldn't hide her feelings, since Callen read her easily.

"Anything yet?" he asked

"No, not yet"

"You know these things might take time, but he's in good hands, you know it better than me. Dr. Morrow is so damn good at his job" the blue eyed team leader told her, giving her a reassuring smile.

"Yeah, I know but… I was with him when he opened that letter and I… I didn't like what I saw" she stated as she was talking to herself "It was pure terror…"

"Kensi, G's right. The doctor is taking care of him and you saw how better Deeks always felt after a session with him. The man is good" Sam intervened, hoping to reassure her.

"Yeah… and remember that he's Hetty's friend. This must mean something" Callen smirked calmly.

"I know you are both right, but I won't be…" Kensi couldn't finish what she wanted to say because once again Callen do it for her.

"…fine until you'll see him. We know…"

"Am I that obvious?" she wondered ashamed "I have to work on my undercover skills if you read me so well"

"Oh don't worry, you're that obvious only when it's a matter of a certain detective…" Sam teased her.

"…with baby blues" echoed Callen.

"…and fluffy hair" concluded the ex-Seal.

Kensi felt her cheeks reddening, but she didn't want to show that her friend's words had hit a raw nerve "You're not funny, not funny at all" she paused, lowering her glance "It's just that Deeks is my partner, my friend and… I worry about him"

"Kensi, we're worried about him too… but we know he's in good hands and when he'll finally decide to join us…" Sam stared at her with knowing eyes "…we'll have his back as well as he'll have ours"

"Yeah, what Sam said" Callen cut it short "Time to work now. We're at Carlsson's house"

"House? Castle sounds more appropriate…" Kensi said, shaking away all of her bad feelings and turning into Agent Mode "How much money should a man have to live in a place like this?"

"Too much" Sam simply remarked, stopping his car at the end of the tree-lined driveway that lead to the big house. They got out of the black Challenger and stared at the imposing building.

A man in his late twenties walked out of the big door to greet them, with a grave expression planted on his face "I'm sorry but visitors are not allowed here"

Callen flashed his badge, introducing himself "I'm Agent Callen, NCIS, these are Agent Hanna and Agent Blye"

"NCIS?" the young man wondered.

"Naval Criminal Investigative Service" explained Sam.

"Oh… well… come here then"

"And you are?" Kensi asked skeptically, not liking the man at first sight.

"I'm Craig Carlsson, my brother Brent is the owner of the house"

"Is he at home? We'd like to ask him some questions about…" Callen was interrupted by another voice coming from the inside.

"Craig, let them come inside" a tall man, with short blond hair approached them. He had a toned body, very athletic probably trained by hours spent outside since the tan was very evident on his skin, a pair of piercing, light-blue eyes sparkled with interest "I'm Brent Carlsson, please forgive my brother but he's always very cautious"

Brent was probably the older brother, close to 40 years old, but the resemblance was astonishing. The two men could easily be mistaken for twins.

The three agents re-introduced themselves then followed the two brothers inside the house.

"I suppose you would like to see the crime scene, please follow me" Brent told them without adding anything more. They arrived at the pool, the passage of the forensics was still very evident, but the host simply ignored it "Please have a seat. Craig, why don't you go inside and get something to drink? Would you like anything Agents?"

"No, we're good" Sam replied without hesitation.

"Mr. Carlsson, we're here to…" Callen started but once again, Brent interrupted him, unnerving him a bit.

"Because the man who's been found here was a Marine, LAPD told me you'd show up. I'm willing to give you my complete collaboration, but sadly I never met the man in my whole life and I never had any business with him. I might be very sorry for his death, it's terrible, but I truly don't know what I could tell you to help you in your investigation"

"Who found the body?" Kensi asked scanning the whole place with her trained eyes.

"I did… we did actually, Craig, my assistant and I. We were coming back from an important business lunch, it was around 3pm if I remember correctly. When we arrived here we found the man floating, face down, in the swimming pool. Craig jumped in the pool, hoping he could do something to save the poor man, but it was already too late" anticipating the agents' question he clarified "My brother was a lifeguard once"

"You have an alarm system, I suppose… was it disabled or still working?" Kensi noticed the cameras all over the place "And we might need the camera footages"

"The alarm system was perfectly functioning, nothing was out of place and just in case you ask, nothing has been stolen" Carlsson said with a little grin on his face, the one of a man who always knew everything "And LAPD has already taken all the footages, you should ask them"

Craig Carlsson decided to show up in that moment carrying a tray with two shots of whiskey for him and his brother and a bottle of water with other glasses for the NCIS agents "I thought that a glass of water could be appreciated even if you're on duty"

"Thanks, but we're good" Callen replied, cut him short. At least no one might interrupt him this time "Mr. Carlsson, your brother told us that you tried to save Sergeant Flemmings, jumping in the pool and performing CPR"

"Yeah, I tried, but sadly it was too late. After few moments I immediately realized that… that the man was already dead"

"Did you see him before? I don't know… at work, at a bar, dance club… whatever…" wondered Kensi trying to study the man in front of her. She exchanged a glance with her friends, realizing that they both noticed Craig Carlsson's nervousness too.

"No, never. It was the first time I… I have never seen him" the man said with a little trembling in his voice "Oh gosh... I… I have never seen a dead man so closely"

"Mr. Carlsson" Sam directed his attention to Brent who, on the contrary of his younger brother, was extremely calm "You said your assistant was with you. Do you mind giving us her address so we could talk to her?"

"Oh well, I could do something better. She's here, in her room. She has one here, for the emergencies, as most of my most trustworthy employees has. Craig do you mind go upstairs and call Miss Romano please? Thanks"

"Yeah, of course…" Craig moved towards the inside of the house, appearing relieved to get away from the situation.

"Amazing house" Callen stated, trying to start a casual conversation while waiting for the assistant to join them. Sometimes this was the moment where people released a bit of the tension, relaxing, and most of the times, it happened that they let slip something important without even realizing it. He had to admit that Brent Carlsson looked a bit too much in control to do it, but it was worth a try.

"I have to agree with your statement, agent Callen. It's one of the oldest houses of the whole Los Angeles. I bought it ten years ago just one year after I launched my shipping company"

"So do you deal only with shipping goods or there are other departments in your company?" Sam followed his partner's lead.

"At first shipping goods was our only occupation, now it's just one of the many. We have just opened a telematics department that tries to find new ways for documents' exchange, especially for the ones of high importance. We're basically looking for the safest and fastest way to do the exchange with just few clicks on the computer… our customers never complained about our services" Carlsson explained with a proud but annoying note in his voice.

The ex-Seal took note to ask Eric to run a detailed search on this new department of Carlsson's company "Even military documents?"

A cunning grin curved Brent's lips "Not yet, but we're working on it. We had some contacts with some very important people in strategic positions and I'm quite confident that we'll sign an accord" he remarked triumphantly "Oh here you are…" he got up when her assistant showed up, introducing her to the agents who still had their backs to the woman "Agent Callen, Agent Hanna, Agent Blye, this is my assistant Katy Romano"

"Oh my God" the woman said when she crossed her eyes with the agents "Kensi! Is that you?"

Kensi couldn't hide her surprise at the sight of the other woman "Vika?"

Callen and Sam watched the exchange with wary looks "I take you two know each other" the ex-Seal stated.

"Yes… I mean…oh God, how long has it been?" Kensi was almost out of words "Callen, Sam, this is… wait Katy Romano?" she turned to face Carlsson's assistant straight in the eyes.

"Katy Romano sounds better than Viktoria Ekaterina Gordenkova… don't you think?" the woman burst out laughing "I changed my name in Romano when I married and I kept it even after the divorce"

"You… married? Hard to believe… divorce is more on your chords…"

"Ehm ehm, sorry to interrupt, but…"

"Oh Callen sorry. This is my friend Vika Gordenkova aka Katy Romano" Kensi said grinning "We were roommates at college… man, I still can't believe it"

Brent Carlsson observed the entire scene, sipping her whiskey "Since it seems that you don't need me anymore, I leave you to your conversation" then moving his glance to his assistant he told, her "Katy, I'll be in my office when you'll be finished. Take the agents to the door and then join me. We have some details to refine before tomorrow meeting with the Japanese Ambassador"

"Of course. I'll be there soon Brent" she agreed.

With that Brent got up and left with his brother.

"So, Mrs. Romano, could we talk to you for a moment?" Sam asked, indicating the vacant chair to the woman.

* * *

Please let me know what you think about this... does it make any sense?


	3. Chapter 3

Since I'm not so sure when I'll be able to update (life is crazy right now, family and work are too demanding), I decided to put this new bit up. I hope you're still with me... :)

* * *

Poisonous Path - Chapter 3

"I… it was horrible. I saw the body in the pool and Craig jumping into it then…" Katy was shaking badly recollecting the events of the previous day "The man was so… the color of his skin. Oh it was so… I've never seen anyone dying…"

"I know Vika, I can imagine this being traumatic but please, do you remember anything that could help us? Everything, even the little detail can be important" Kensi put a hand around her friend's shoulder.

"Mrs. Romano, did you know Sergeant Flemmings? Have you ever seen him before?" Callen intervened studying the woman features intently.

Katy Romano or Vika Gordenkova was a gorgeous woman that didn't pass unobserved for sure. She was tall, even taller than Kensi with a cascade of red, wavy hair that fell down her back, almost to her waist. Her skin was pale, like it was made of porcelain and she had the most amazing green eyes Callen had ever seen. There was an innocent aura around her, like she was a frightened fawn, but there was something in her, in the way she moved, the way she talked that couldn't hide a certain amount of confidence.

"No.. never" there was an hesitant note in her voice that put on alert the two men in front of her "Do… do you think I… that we're finished her? As you heard I have a lot of work to do…"

"Yeah, we're done, but we might call you again in case we'll need to ask you some other questions" Callen told her smiling.

"Vika I'll give you my phone number so you can call me if you'll remember something else" Kensi paused, smirking "…and because I want you to call me so maybe we'll be able to catch up. Man, it's been ages since I've seen you"

"Yeah, I think it was… two years after graduation, before I moved to the East Coast and you decided to join this… career"

Sam took the opportunity to ask a personal question, curios to finally meet someone from Kensi's past "So you two were roommates"

Katy's features relaxed and for a moment it was like looking to another person, completely different from the scared one they had in front of their eyes just few minutes ago "Oh well, we were more than roommates. We were best friends… we did everything together and God we did a lot of things" she winked at her friend.

"Oh this is interesting. Just wait till Deeks will find out about it, you will never see the end of it" Callen grinned amused, imagining the scene in his mind.

"Deeks? Who's Deeks? Boyfriend?" Katy asked curiously, narrowing her eyes avidly.

"No, please no… he's my partner and he has the tendency of being a bit too curious and pushy for my taste" Kensi lifted her hands defensively, tilting her head.

"Oh oh… I hear that voice…"

"Vika, please stop…"

"What voice?" Sam wondered, flashing a dimpled smile.

Katy took her friend's arm "I need to hear the whole story Kensi…"

"Vika, there's no story… Deeks and I are partners and friends. That's it" Kensi truly wanted this conversation to end and especially she didn't want it to take place in front of her team mates "But this is not the place or the time to talk about this…"

"Perfect! Tomorrow night, my place then… I'll make you dinner and please bring your friends with you, it'll be fun" Katy suggested all excited.

"Vika, I don't think it's a great idea…"

"Oh no, I think it's more than great" Callen said, echoing the woman's excitement. There was a funny note in his voice that didn't go missed by his partner.

"Oh yes, I'm sure Deeks will be more than happy to join us" the ex-Seal was finding hard not to laugh.

"Great!" Katy engulfed Kensi in a big hug "Oh Kensi I'm so happy… I miss our time together. It'll be like being back to college"

"Yes… right. Perfect" the female agent said not truly sure this could be a good idea.

"Perfect indeed" Katy kissed her on the cheek "I'll call you later" and with that she was gone.

Kensi felt the scrutinizing glances of her two friends on her "You know you're going to pay for this"

"For what? For offering you a trip back to college? You should thank us instead" Sam replied chuckling.

"Interesting woman" Callen stated out of nowhere.

"Oh she truly is… and with a turn of personality" his partner voiced his suspicion "Was it only me, or I noticed a certain nervousness while we were discussing the case that disappeared immediately when we stopped questioning her? It was like talking to two different women"

"Come on Sam, not all the people in this world are former Seals used to see death all around" Kensi remarked a bit bothered by her friend's statement "Vika is normal girl, I think seeing a dead man probably shocked her"

"Oh well, just think about how shocked will be Deeks when we'll tell him about your old friend…" Callen this time couldn't hold the laugh anymore.

"Please, don't remind me about it…" it was right in that moment that Kensi's phone beeped signaling an incoming message "Speaking of the devil, it's Deeks. He's waiting for us at the Mission"

"So… what are we waiting for?" Sam exclaimed gingerly.

"You two better behave when we'll be back. Dealing with Deeks is already enough… dealing with a super excited and naughty Deeks is impossible and if I add you two on top…" she let her words fall in the air, clear sign of a silent threat.

"Oh we'll be good, won't we Sam?"

"I'm with you G. We'll be more than good"

"Why don't I believe you at all?" Kensi put her phone back, sighing heavily. Oh yes, it was going to be a very long day.

* * *

Deeks was sitting at his desk, enjoying the peace of the almost empty room while waiting for the rest of the team to come back from the crime scene. Eric and Nell had already updated him on the new case and so he was studying the case-file on his laptop, intently, so intently that he didn't hear Hetty approaching him. Well, not that he could hear her all the time.

"Good morning Mr. Deeks" she greeted him with a warm smile.

"Hetty.. hey. Morning" he replied a bit startled by the sudden and silent appearance. He stopped what he was doing, playing with his hair "I… I think I owe you a… I have to thank you"

The Operations Manager pretended to be surprised but her smile grew wider, she knew too well her men "Thank me for what Mr. Deeks?"

Deeks tilted his head to one side, narrowing his eyes "Pretending I didn't hear your question, since I'm pretty sure you already know the answer, I have to thank you for sending me to see Dr. Morrow. It was… helpful"

"I'm very glad to be at your service" she said with a calm voice "Richard is very good at his job and I suspected tha,t after receiving that letter, you were in a great need of a good advice, from someone you trust"

The cop chuckled, shaking his head while his tongue danced on his lips "Of course you did. I wonder if there's something you don't know…"

"Thank you Mr. Deeks" Hetty became suddenly serious "When will the trail start?"

The blond detective bowed his head as he wanted to avoid the conversation, but he knew that there was no way that Hetty won't finish what she had started "This week, but they won't hear me until the end of the next one" he paused smiling bitterly "There's still time"

"And how do you feel about it?" she insisted.

Deeks remained silent, blinking rapidly "I'm… good, for now. Maybe I won't be next week… but I'll find a way"

"I'm sure you will and your friends will be here to support you, to help you…"

He looked at her, skeptical "Why do I have the feeling that you're testing me? I bet Dr. Morrow called you the moment I left his office"

Hetty smirked amused "I have always known that you're smart, Mr. Deeks"

The cop was going to reply to her, when familiar voices coming from the entrance of the Mission distracted him.

"Well, well, well, look who decided to finally show up" Sam told him, sitting at his desk "Good morning Deeks. Aren't you a bit late?"

"Good morning Sam, I was sure you would miss me…"

"Deeks" Callen greeted him smiling broadly

"Callen" Deeks moved his eyes from his team leader to her partner who was now standing in front of her desk, staring at him "Kensi"

"Hey" she told him. Her mismatched eyes were fixed on her partner, studying every line on his face "You ok?"

He smiled, sweetly, not annoyed at all by her obvious concern "I'm good" seeing her raising her eyebrows, not convinced, he rushed to add in an even sweeter tone "I'm really fine"

"Oh well, if you weren't fine now, you would be once you'll hear the story we have to tell you" Sam intervened, leaning against the back of his chair.

"A story? Uhm I love stories… especially if they involve naughty details about hot women…"

"Deeks!" Kensi yelled at him "Could you be a little bit… more… less… stop being you! Just for once!"

"Wow! Do I sense a little hostility here?" Deeks told her, getting up and walking closer her "Did I hit a soft spot?"

He didn't have to wait too long for her reply since she punched him in his shoulder "Stop it!" she pointed a finger at his chest, touching him just enough to feel like an electrical discharge running through her.

"Ok, ok… enough partner" the cop held his sore shoulder, wincing in pain, but his eyes were locked on hers. He had noticed her little change of attitude after her touch. Deciding to ignore it for a moment, he turned to face Callen "So… about this story…"

"Well, maybe it would be Kensi's place to tell it to you, but since I'm sure she won't tell you anything at all, I'll do it for her" a big grin appeared on the blue eyed leader, brightening his whole expression "I'll give you the short version… just to go straight to the point"

"Indeed, straight to the point…" the cop mocked him.

"It turned out that Carlsson's assistant is Kensi's friend, actually according to her words, Kensi's best friend back at college"

"This is getting interesting… very intriguing" Deeks smiled amused "And did she share any spicy detail about my dear partner's past?" another punch reached him on the other shoulder "Ouch… really?"

Kensi didn't reply at all, she simply sat at her desk, clearly uneasy about this whole story.

"She didn't anticipate anything, but we're all invited to her house tomorrow night, for dinner" Sam explained unable to hide a chuckle seeing the cop's surprised expression. It was like watching a kid who had just received the toy he was longing for ages "I'm sure she'll have plenty of stories to tell us"

Deeks looked straight at his partner giggling "Oh my God… this is heaven! Better than reading your journal!" he felt her freezing glance on him so he added immediately "Not that I have… ever read it…"

"Like we believe you…" Sam teased him "You knew the password of her computer…"

"What? Deeks… you didn't dare…!" Kensi jumped on her feet looking pretty angry… and scary.

"No, never… and it was for the emergencies… and well, you know I'm a detective, detect is my job…" the cop was moving backwards glancing right and left looking for back up "Hey… a little help would be appreciated… Sam… Callen… Hetty?" he babbled anxiously.

Sam and Callen didn't move a finger, too amused by the scene moving in front of them; it was Hetty who probably had mercy of her liaison officer "Miss Blye, I think it could be safe if you and Mr. Deeks will discuss about this matter while driving to Sergeant Flemmings' sister house. I don't like to see blood here… there are valuable items that I wouldn't like to see ruined"

A big grin curved Kensi's lips "Ok, I think you're right" she grabbed her partner shirt and dragged him with her "Come on Deeks…"

"No… hey wait… Kensi this is not as it seems I…" he was pulled even strongly as he cast a pleading look to his other teammates "You'll have me on your conscience… help… help me. Please…" he begged even if he was already at the door, almost out of reach.

"Hetty, do you think it's safe leaving them alone?" Callen pointed out still laughing.

"Oh don't worry. Miss Blye will never do anything to harm Mr. Deeks…" the older woman said, while walking away towards her office "I think at least… hope mostly…"

Sam cast a glance at his partner "Don't worry… she won't hurt him… too much"

"Yeah, probably…"

A voice came in distance "Mr. Callen, Mr. Hanna when you'll be finished discussing the sorts of your teammates, would you mind joining me in my office for an update? Until you have forgotten, we still have a case"

"After all these years I'm still wondering how she does that…" the ex-Seal wondered.

"Just a sharp hearing…" Hetty told him "My office now"

Callen shook his head, smiling. He will never stop being amazed by Hetty Lange "We're coming, we're coming Hetty"

* * *

Any kind comment is really appreciated, good or bad, it will help me to reach my goal (which is _improving_...)... thanks in advance.


	4. Chapter 4

And here I am, new chapter is up... as always thanks to whoever spent time reading this and following it, an additional thanks to who reviewed it. Comments are always appreciated.

* * *

Poisonous Path - Chapter 4

An unnatural silence engulfed the car that was darting on the highway. Kensi didn't know whether she should be mad or worried, Deeks on the other hand had tons of things running through his mind and not all of them took him to a happy place.

Finally finding the courage, he sighed deeply and asked "Are you still mad at me? You know I will never do anything to intrude upon your space if you didn't allow me to do that. I… knew your password and I… I used only when we were looking for you when… well the time of the mess about your father's death investigation" he paused taking another deep breath "Technically it was Callen who went through your computer…"

A dirty look coming from his partner stopped him from going on, but she didn't say anything.

"Oh come on Kens… yell at me, hit me, but don't ignore me, I hate it" he told her venting his frustration.

Kensi kept her eyes on the road "I'm not mad at you. I… I was just joking back at bullpen. I like to scare you once in a while"

"So… you did it on purpose? Really? Joking with my sentiment… this is mean, even for you!"

"What do you mean by even for me?" she finally turned to look at him only to find him grinning, with his usual cheeky expression.

"It worked again… I make you turn and face me…" Deeks winked satisfied obtaining his reward under the form of a smile from his partner "…and you're smiling"

Kensi chuckled, shaking her head "So it seems"

"So…" he started again, pushing her a bit as usual "Your friend…?"

This time she rolled her eyes, annoyed "You never give up…"

"Not when I could have a valuable source of information. Your college best friend? This is soooo good!" realizing that she wasn't smiling or replying to his teasing, he got serious "Anything wrong? You look… upset"

"I'm not upset, I'm fine"

"Indeed" simply stated the cop, raising his eyebrows silently telling her _I told you so_. "Come on Kens, tell me about her… and before you could hurt me, I'm being all serious now" his voice took the sweet note it always had when he was concerned about his partner.

Kensi bowed her head, a bit ashamed to be read so easily by him "Vika is great, she's really great…"

"Vika? What kind of name is Vika?"

"She's got Russian heritage. Her name is Viktoria Ekaterina Gordenkova, but everyone has always called her Vika. I just learnt that now she goes for Katy Romano after taking his ex-husband's name" she explained, her eyes never left the road in front of her "As I said, we were roommates, but at first sight we couldn't stand each other. I… I was, well, you know me… I was everything my father taught me, she was the most girly girl I have ever met instead. After the first few weeks in which we didn't share a single word, one night we decided to say everything we thought about the other straight in each other face" a little smile curved her lips at the memory "Well, we realized that we were not that different and we started talking… and talking.. and talking. We were practically inseparable from then"

"Wow… she must be really something" Deeks stated.

"Oh trust me, she is… not to mention she was, and still is, the girl everyone turns to see when she steps into a room"

"This is getting even more interesting" he whistled with an amused look planted on his face. Kensi froze him with her cold glance "What? Can't I be intrigued by all of this?"

Ignoring her partner comment, she went on "We did everything together and man, I had so much fun. She's like a volcano, a ball of fire… when she's got something in mind, no one could stop her"

"Not even you?"

"Not even me" she answered shortly.

"Phew, I like her already…" this new comment made him gain just another scolding glance from his partner "Ok, ok. I stop being an idiot. So… she's perfect and you're upset because…"

"I'm not upset. It's just that…" Kensi stopped talking, unable to express exactly what she was feeling "I am just thinking… she's gorgeous, she's got a great job, a great position…" she didn't finish her sentence because Deeks stopped her.

"Don't go there Kensi. Don't doubt yourself because of her" he told her, switching once again from naughty Deeks to caring Deeks in a blink of an eye "You've got an important job as well, you do something that makes a real difference… and you're gorgeous as well…"

She furrowed her eyebrows, skeptically.

"Hey, I'm not being naughty here, I really mean it. You know I can't lie to you…"

After few seconds of silence, Kensi took a deep breath saying "Thanks Deeks"

"Anytime partner" he smiled, gently "So… tomorrow night eh?"

She chuckled at his umpteenth snarky comment. It was just a losing game with him "Yeah, tomorrow night, promise me you'll behave"

"Behaving, really? You're wounding me here Fern! I thought you trusted me…"

"Oh yes, but not when there are women around, especially beautiful women…" Kensi paused giving him a determined glare "Especially when these women… are my friends"

His voice softened, noticing the importance of this whole situation for her "Don't worry… I'll be good"

"Now, your turn" she said, feeling a bit lighter, like a heavy burden had been removed from her shoulders. She really didn't know why this whole story had bothered her so much.

"My turn of doing what?"

"Confession" she simply told him "How did it go with the doc?"

Deeks passed his hand through his hair in a gesture Kensi had learnt to know very well "It went well"

"Hey, for a talkative guy, you're a bit too tightlipped about this subject" she remarked, studying her partner's expression intently.

"But it went really well, it helped me. We talked about a lot of… stuff and it helped me figure them out"

Her trained eyes traced every line of Deeks' features and she was pleased of what she saw. He was truly at peace, there was concern in his deep blue eyes, but there was no trace of that terror she had noticed after he read the letter. She sighed relieved "I'm very glad for you… and well, you know, if you want to talk about it, I'm here…"

He smiled, sweetly, giving her one of his best puppy looks "I know you're here and I'm glad about it" his voice lowered, becoming more like a whisper "It means a lot to me…"

There was a minute of silence, but it was not awkward or uneasy. It was peaceful instead.

Kensi was the one who broke it, talking first "Are you up for doing your job now?"

"You know I'll go everywhere with you" he winked playfully.

"Oh yes, sadly I know" she joked back, then suddenly furrowing her brows she said "But… now tell me, about my password?"

A cold shiver ran down Deeks' spine "Do we have to talk about it? Really?"

She burst out laughing without adding anything else and turning up the volume when her favorite techno song started.

"I'm doomed… completely doomed" he murmured, but a faint smile curved his lips.

* * *

Alicia Flemmings sat in the little sofa in her living room, eyes puffy red for all the tears she shed, her nose running, a box of Kleenex in her lap. She was the spitting image of her brother, the same dark hair, the same hazel eyes "I can't believe he's dead. BJ… Bernard…" she corrected herself "…was my whole family. He took care of me… he was… everything. What will I do now?" she couldn't stop sobbing at the thought of her dead brother.

"Miss Flemmings, we're really sorry for your loss, but we need to ask you some questions. Maybe you could help us finding who did this to your brother" Kensi told her, trying to calm the other woman a bit.

"Was he behaving differently in the past few days? Did he tell you that he has been threatened or followed or… that he was afraid of something?" intervened Deeks, keeping his voice low.

"No… I mean… he never told me anything about this, but…" Alicia was playing with a Kleenex in her hand, nervously "He was working a lot, more than usual. He was coming home very late and he was always tired"

"Was it anything he ever did in the past or was it the first time that happened?" asked Kensi, raising an eyebrow with curiosity.

"BJ's job is very… important and when he was working on some new projects it could happen that he came home very late, but I've never seen him so tired, so… edgy. I never realized until now that he was… acting a bit out of character lately"

"Has he ever talked to you about his job, about these projects… or about his coworkers?" Deeks had a weird feeling he wasn't able to place. It was like he was missing something here. He exchanged a look with his partner, happy to see in her eyes, that she was having the same suspicion.

"No, I… I don't even know the name of his coworkers. He used to tell me that he didn't want me to be involved with it…"

Realizing that this conversation was going nowhere fruitful, Kensi changed the subject "Did your brother have a girlfriend?"

"Or a boyfriend…" added Deeks gaining a wary glance from his partner, but a smile from the other woman.

"No, no boyfriend" Alicia remarked "…or girlfriend that I am aware of. Look, BJ has never been one for tight bonding… he liked to have fun. I… I think he never found the right person to make him change his mind at this regard" she said as a tear ran down her cheek "I think it's too late now for him to do it…"

"Do you know any of the places he went to have… his fun? Clubs, bars…" the cop's blue eyes narrowed studying the woman in front of him, taking a note of her reaction.

Alicia couldn't stop moving her hands, biting her lips. She was obviously nervous "He liked to try places… as I said he didn't like bindings, but I think he told me he went a couple of times to a new club downtown Los Angeles, a place called The Golden Eye"

"Wow, top class Club!" Deeks exclaimed and when he noticed Kensi's eyes on him he rushed to add "I've never been there… I just heard about it.. somewhere. I… have to keep myself up-to-date if I want to do my job very well"

"Yes, BJ said it was a great place… but he never mentioned anyone he met there… if he ever met someone there" Miss Flemmings pointed out "Do you think that… that he could have met someone there that killed him in the end?"

"Miss Flemmings, look. From the forensics' report, your brother had sex right before dying… maybe the woman… or the man…" she tilted her head so she could face her partner "…that was with him might know something…"

"…or might be involved" the detective said gravely.

"Oh God…" Alicia buried her face in her hands, her whole body shaken by trembling.

"Miss Flemmings, we'll do everything we can to find the person who killed him, I promise you" Kensi tried to reassure the other woman, feeling close to her in this sad moment "Here, this is my business card, call me whenever you remember something… everything might be useful, even something that might not make sense for you"

"Miss Flemmings, do you mind if we… take a look at your brother's stuff before leaving?" Deeks asked, seeing the woman in front of him getting tense.

Alicia swallowed hard, answering with a shaking voice "Yes… of course. I… take you to his room"

Both Kensi and Deeks furrowed their brows in sync; moving in unison they followed the woman upstairs.

Half an hour later they walked out of Flemmings' house.

Deeks took out his phone and dialed Ops, putting the communication on speaker "Eric, I need you to look for cameras around a club in Downtown Los Angeles, the Golden Eye, please and Kensi will take you a flash drive with a copy of Bernard Flemmings' hard drive"

"_Already on it, Deeks_" the tech answered "_Anything else?_"

"Check Flemmings' teammates. It seems that his sister didn't know anything about them" Kensi added.

"_Callen and Sam are already driving to Flemmings' workplace to interview his buddies and boss_" Nell's voice came loud and clear.

"Good then. We'll coming back. See you in a while" the female agent closed the call, staring at her partner "So, what do you think?"

"I have the feeling I'm missing something here… we have a dead Marine, with a normal life, no enemies and all, who ends up floating in the pool of a multi-millionaire who doesn't know anything about him. This is just too strange to be true…"

Kensi nodded, sharing exactly the same feeling "Not to mention that our Miss Alicia Flemmings looked a bit too… nervous in my book. I understand she's in pain for losing her brother but…"

"She wasn't only nervous… she was scared. Scared to death" Deeks stated gravely, his face serious. A second later though, a needing smile curved his lips "God, I need a coffee"

"What? Are you kidding me? We're discussing a case and you can only say that you need a coffee?"

"Hey, sorry, but I can't think without my dose of caffeine and I didn't have one this morning… I never got one before going to the Doc" the cop quickened his pace towards the car "So what do you think about driving me to the fist Starbuck around?"

"Deeks, you're impossible, you know it, don't you?" Kensi pretended to be mad at him, but she couldn't hide a smirk. This was Deeks, she was talking about…

"Oh yes, I'm impossible to resist" his cheeky grin brightened his self-confident expression "Come on, I can even buy you a donut. I'm not the only addicted here…"

"Add Twinkies on top and we have a deal…"

"See? I know you too well Fern!" and with that Deeks opened the door of the car and waited patiently for Kensi to jump inside and drive.

* * *

For whoever was waiting for the dinner at Vika's... just wait for the next chapter. The guys have to work before having fun and they still have a case to solve :)


	5. Chapter 5

It's dinner time... not so sure about this bit, but this is how my mind works.

As always I apologize for my English... all mistakes are mine and mine only.

* * *

Poisonous Path - Chapter 5

The rest of the following day passed without any exciting news about the case, well actually all the agents were getting a bit restless for being at such stalling point. On the other hand, everyone was looking with enthusiasm or excitement for the incoming dinner. As always Deeks was the noisiest to voice his excitement, mostly because he was the only one who hadn't met the infamous Katy Romano or as Kensi couldn't stop calling her, Vika Gordenkova. Actually the waiting was killing him.

When they were finally in front of the woman's door, he couldn't contain himself anymore.

"Oh come on Deeks, you're ridiculous!" Kensi told him, rolling her eyes for the umpteenth time.

"Ridiculous? It's payback time!" sensing her hostility, the cop went one talking "Remember Ray? You asked him all the questions you could about me… just to embarrass me and to use it against me! Now, I have the opportunity to do exactly the same… why can't I be excited?" an elbow reached his side, painfully "Again? Really? Kensi you're no fun this night…"

She didn't reply but rang at the door.

After few minutes, Vika appeared on the doorstep, smiling and shining "Kensi!" she screamed, hugging her friend "I'm so glad you came!"

"How could I miss your… nice offer?"

"Oh don't be mad Kensi, we'll have fun" the gorgeous woman turned her attention to her friend's teammates "Agent Callen, Agent Hanna, nice to see you again"

"It's Sam, Mrs. Romano"

"And it's Katy… or Vika" she smiled broadly.

"And which one do you prefer?" Deeks intervened, shaking himself from the shock of such a nice view.

"Oh you should be Deeks…" Vika turned towards Kensi, smirking cunningly, whispering in her ear "Kensi, sweetie, you didn't tell me you were so lucky to work with those handsome men, this is getting better and better"

"Hey, what are you two talking about?" the cop gave them a worried look "And, by the way, you can call me Marty"

"You can call me whatever you like, Marty" Vika took him by his arm and lead them inside "Come inside, please the party is at the pool"

"Party?" Kensi wondered, gulping.

"At the pool?" the blond detective echoed obviously pleased.

"Yes, I invited some friends…" still having Deeks in her arm, the redheaded woman took her old friend with her other hand "Oh come on Party Girl, it'll be fun, like the old times"

"Party Girl? Oh I love the sound of this" Deeks couldn't stop himself from grinning like an idiot "You should tell me more… Vika?"

"Deeks, don't you dare! Or I'll kill you… slowly and painfully" Kensi threatened him.

"Don't mind her Marty… she likes to pretend to be shy, but she's a real tiger"

"Oh man, this is Heaven…" the detective exclaimed with a mischievous look planted on his still smiling face.

"You better behave Deeks or Kensi will turn it into a living Hell!" Callen told him playfully.

Deeks cast a look at his partner "Come on Fern, tell them that you will never hurt me…"

"Fern?" Vika asked curiously.

"Long story Vika… but don't let Deeks tell you about it or don't let him even open his mouth, he will never shut up!" Kensi warned her friend who seemed to be amused by the whole exchange.

"Oh trust me Kensi, I'd love to see him opening his mouth…" the woman said with such a sensual voice that made the three men shiver.

Deeks snorted swallowing hard "Is it getting a bit too hot in here?"

"Come on Marty… I'm sure this night is going to be funny…" Vika guided him towards the pool, locking her amazing green eyes on his blue ones.

"Definitely hot" he stated following her.

"I just hope no one will get burnt this night, G" Sam leaned over his partner, talking to him.

"And why do you think we're here for, Sam? To keep an eye on them…" with that Callen and his partner followed the others.

* * *

The night had been surprisingly good mostly for everyone. Sam and Callen was pleased to see a new side of Kensi, seeing her very relaxed, more laid back than usual. It was like Vika's presence had taken out some of the things she had buried inside herself for years.

They had all laughed at most of the stories Vika had told them about their college years and as always the most interested in all of them had been Deeks who simply, couldn't stop smiling and laughing.

"Wow Kensi… I'm seeing you under a complete different light now. You know that my life won't be the same anymore from now on" he said, leaning over his partner, almost whispering in her ear.

"Repeat to anyone else outside this house what you have just heard… and you'll be dead. You have my word on this Deeks" Kensi threatened him, pinching his side, twisting his skin in her fingers.

He tried not to make a single sound but probably the deep intake of breath he gave, didn't go unnoticed, especially to Vika who seemed pretty interested on the blond detective. She never took her shining green eyes away from him, not missing an opportunity to lay a hand on his shoulder, to brush his legs with hers, to lean on him filling her nostrils with his scent. In spite of all of his efforts to avoid her, he felt cornered, with no way out.

"Oh sorry ladies" he excused himself getting up from the chair he was sitting on "But nature is calling…"

"Really Deeks? Again?" his partner teased him, surprised not to hear a witty remark coming from him.

When he was gone, Vika got up from her own chair and moved to the one next to Kensi, showing a great excitement "Oh my God Kensi… you didn't tell me your partner was so damn cute! And not to mention that he's got everything at its place… wouldn't you want to pinch his butt?"

"Vika! You're talking about my partner here! I… I don't want to pinch his butt! He's… he's Deeks for God's sake!" the NCIS agent replied a bit shocked by her friend's statement.

"And for God's sake he's a hell of handsome guy!" Vika narrowed her eyes, studying Kensi's reaction, the tension growing in her shoulders "Kensi, Kensi, Kensi… you care about him, don't you?"

"Of course I care, he's my partner!"

"I'm not talking about you two being partners… you care about him as a woman can care about a man she's interested in…" the redheaded woman pressed her friend.

"No… he's a friend, that's it"

"Oh ok then" Vika finally said satisfied "In this case you won't mind me… making a move with him, because sweetie… I like him, a lot"

Kensi tensed hearing her friend's words "I… are you trying to take him in your bed? You haven't changed a bit in these years…" she replied trying to calm the storm inside of her.

"Actually, I am a changed woman, now I… fall for one man at a time"

The female agent became serious, his face darkened "Vika, please don't play with him… and don't you dare hurting him"

"Ah, you haven't changed a bit too! Always protective with your stuff!" Vika winked cunningly.

"I'm protecting myself here. My job… our job is dangerous and I need to be sure that when I'll be outside chasing a bad guy, my partner is right in his mind, ready to have my back when I need it…" Kensi paused, staring at Vika intensely, then her features relaxed when she added "And God, Deeks is a whiner. I would never survive a day with him around if you broke his heart!"

"Kensi, I'm not the girl I was back at the college. I don't like having in my bed a different guy every night. I… I want more, I need more…"

Kensi searched in her friend's eyes for any trace of a lie, but she didn't find one. Vika was sincere… a tight smile curved her lips "Just be sure to keep him in one piece, ok?"

"Kensi dear, I don't have any intention to break him anytime. He's just too perfect the way he is"

It was right in that moment that Deeks decided to come back from his trip to the bathroom "Wow Vika, that bathroom of yours is simply… awesome! It's almost bigger than my whole apartment!" sensing the women's glances on him, he felt a bit uneasy "What? Did I say something wrong? Or I have something weird on my face… because I can see you staring at me and its' pretty scary…"

"Oh no Marty, you didn't do anything wrong" Vika took his hand, guiding him down to the chair, but doing so, she straightened one of her leg, making it end up right in front of the cop's foot.

Deeks tripped over it, losing his balance and finding himself practically on Vika, his mouth just few inches from hers.

"Uh, you go straight to the point, Marty" she told him, trying to close the short distance between her lips and his.

The cop retreated just in time, embarrassed "Sorry, I'm a bit clumsy…"

"Oh please don't be sorry… and sincerely I'm not complaining about your clumsiness" Vika lowered her voice.

Kensi rolled her eyes, knowing very well her friend's tactic "Ok too much information for me. I better go looking for Sam and Callen, you two have fun"

"Kensi… hey wait…" Deeks tried to call her back, but she didn't even attempt to turn towards him "Kensi!? Damn I better…" he was getting up when the redheaded woman grabbed his wrist stopping him.

"Let her be Marty. Come on, sit with me and have something to drink…"

"Vika, I… Kensi…"

She guided him into a chair, moving her hand over his chest, playfully "So, now that it's only you and me, Marty… tell me something about you"

The cop shifted uneasy in the chair, trying to wriggle from her touch, smiling nervously "My life is not that interesting"

She came even closer, now she was almost leaning against him with her whole upper body "Oh I like modest men…" a hand moved into his hair "Especially when they have great hair…"

Gently, hoping to be not very rude, Deeks moved her apart, his eyes scanning the place looking for the familiar figure of his partner.

Vika observed him a bit disappointed, then she burst out laughing "Man, you two…"

"I'm sorry, what?" he asked, locking his blue eyes into her fascinating green ones.

"You and Kensi…"

"Again, I'm sorry… what?" he repeated, straightening up himself.

"I will never stand a chance with you. I've got the message Marty…"

"Vika, I… she is…"

"She's your partner I know. Kensi already told me the same words…" Vika rolled her eyes, shaking slightly her head, too amused to be upset.

"Yes, she is… and I care about her. I will never do anything to put her in danger or in an awkward position… and mostly I will never make a move with one of her friends"

She stared at him, gently caressing the line of his chin with her hand, feeling his stubble under her fingers "You know, Marty Deeks… you're a good man. Kensi's very lucky to have you as her… friend"

"I can say the same about her..." he simply said, almost ashamed.

"You know, I'm not used at having men who refuse my attention... I should be mad at you, but... I admire you instead. It's so uncommon to find such loyalty"

Deeks found that even if she was complimenting him, there was a cold and sinister note in her voice that unsettled him a bit "Well, I'm not exactly common" he gave her a faint smile.

"Oh that's for sure Marty, I can't argue with that" Vika's green eyes sparkled in the dim light of the night while she spoke gravely, then her full lips curved into a big grin "I would have never taken you for a cop"

"Well, sometimes I wonder myself if I truly am one or it's just an act" he winked cunningly making her laugh.

"Damn it Marty, too bad you're my best friend's best friend... because I think I'm so falling for you!"

For a moment Deeks was completely speechless, taken by surprise by her statement, then swallowing hard, he told her "Please be good, don't repeat it another time, because I'm not so sure I'll be able to resist this time, to control... myself" he shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

Vika leaned over him, kissing him on the cheek "Uhmm... this sounds so dirty, Marty, but I'll be good. I care too much about Kensi to hurt her and her feelings"

His senses went overload when she touched him, when her scent invaded his nostrils, when her soft lips brushed his skin, so he closed his eyes hoping to get some control over his body. When he reopened them, Kensi was staring at him, in distance... her expression dark as ever.

* * *

And this is the first part... how was it? There will be more soon... and even after that :) Just let me know.


	6. Chapter 6

So new chapter is up, it's dinner/party time, part 2. Thanks to whoever is still reading this and a big thanks to who spent some time to review it. It means a lot to me.

* * *

Poisonous Path - Chapter 6

She couldn't believe it, how could she have done that? And why didn't he stop her? Yes, Kensi Blye was mad... mad at Vika, at Deeks, at herself for being so affected by the scene happening in front of her eyes, mad for allowing that to happen.

With a fire burning inside of her, she gulped the last bit of her drink and turned around, to walk away, but doing so, she crashed into Sam's big frame.

"Going somewhere?" he told her, smiling.

"Yes, out of here... coming here was a mistake"

"Oh come on Kens, don't be a child..." Callen joined his two friends.

"A child? If there was a child here, well... it wouldn't be me!" she almost yelled as her eyes moved to the place where Vika and Deeks were talking.

"Well, if you are referring to Deeks, he always acts like a child, so nothing new here..." the ex-Seal's words made her chuckle.

"Yeah, that's for sure..." Kensi admitted, sighing deeply "Maybe watching my friend flirting with my partner is not exactly what I expected from this night"

"You know Kens, for such a great agent, you can be pretty dumb sometimes" Callen intervened, coming closer, taking her shoulders so she could face Deeks and Vika "If you look very carefully, you can see your friend flirting with your partner, who's trying in any way to get out of the situation without being too rude. His eyes never left you for a minute... Do you trust me?"

She looked at him warily "Yes... but I don't know how..."

"So close your eyes now, take a deep breath... and now open them" her team leader instructed her "What do you see?"

Kensi opened her eyes and her glance was immediately locked with Deeks' who was staring at her even if he was smiling at something Vika had told him "I see that I'm an idiot..."

"Nah, don't be too hard on yourself..." Sam said, almost unable to suppress a laugh

"Hey, what's that laugh about?" she narrowed her eyes reading her friend's mischievous grin "I'm not jealous... it was just awkward! And I know Vika, she's... she likes to have fun and Deeks... Deeks is..."

"Deeks is your partner" both Sam and Callen said in unison, laughing broadly this time.

She punched both in their shoulders.

"Hey, we're not Deeks!" Callen protested, touching his sore arm.

"Yeah but since I can't punch him right now, I had to hit someone else!"

"You're not fair young lady" Sam said, becoming a little bit more serious "Don't go too hard on him ok? He doesn't need that right now"

"What... what do you mean by that?" she tilted her head, trying to understand what her friend wanted to hint.

The ex-Seal looked at his partner before starting his explanation "We talked with Hetty and she said that... he's going through a rough period with the incoming trial and all, so we wouldn't like..."

A sudden wave of fury flowed through Kensi's veins "You're afraid he would break down again! Is it what you wanted to say Sam?"

Callen stepped between her and his partner in order to calm them down, well actually to calm Kensi down "Kensi, what Sam wanted to say is..." he hesitated.

"Oh no please, don't stop, I'm curious now. Are you so afraid that he would snap like he did last year and take that shot at you this time?"

"You're not fair here Kensi. I... I simply don't want him to go under further stress because… he doesn't need that. He's doing good, surprisingly good after everything he went through. As his team leader I had to read the monthly reports Dr. Morrow wrote about him and trust me, I'm the one who's most surprised about the way he reacted... I... I simply wouldn't like to see him go down deep in the same place he found himself one year ago. I don't want him to be hurt again..." Callen paused a moment, letting Kensi digest his words "This has nothing to do with the fact he pointed that gun at me... I'd even allow him to shoot me this time if he didn't have to go through the same pain and agony..."

She was touched by her friend's last statement, touched by the affection he showed towards her partner "I... I'm sorry. I overreacted. The fact is that... I saw the way you look at him sometimes, the way you behave around him, like he's always on the edge of breaking down... of going into pieces, and even if I understand your reasons, I don't think it's fair. He... he's stronger than you give him credit"

The two men stared at her, processing what they had just heard "Do we really do that? Is this the impression we give him?" Sam asked, furrowing his brows.

"Oh well, for such great agents as you are, you're pretty dumb sometimes!" she teased them, channeling what Callen had just told her.

"Right..." the blue eyed leader replied.

"And the answer is yes... this is the impression you give. Deeks never said anything about it, but he's not stupid and I think he noticed it..."

"Hey, did you just say that he's not stupid?" it was Sam's turn to mock her.

"Yes, I did, but don't you dare repeating it to him or I will never see the end of it!" Kensi's expression was grave even if she was smiling a little "Deeks is a survivor, you should know that it would have taken a lot of strength to go through everything he went through, but he did it, brilliantly I must add... so just give him some credit. And trust him... that's what he needs from you right now"

"Ok, fine... I think we can do that, right Sam?"

The ex-Seal looked at his partner with a conflicted expression planted on his face "So, I should stop going all mother hen on him, shouldn't I?"

Kensi burst out laughing "Ahahah, I think in the end, he likes when you do that... because he knows he grew on you... but thanks. I'm sure he'll appreciate your efforts"

There was a minute of silence then Callen said "So what do you think if we'll go to get our lovebirds and leave the party? We still have to work tomorrow morning..."

Kensi smirked with renewed enthusiasm "I thought you would have never asked..." and with that she started walking towards Vika and Deeks.

"Ah... never stop a jealous woman..." Sam stated smiling and following her with his partner right behind him, chuckling.

* * *

"Vika, thanks for the dinner, for the party... for the company" Callen told the redheaded woman, shaking hands with her, before saying their goodbyes "It was an interesting night"

"Oh no kidding!" Sam echoed "I never thought I could find out so many details about Kensi's life in such a short period of time"

"And you know only a minimum part of it! I should tell you about that time when..."

"I think it's enough for this night!" Kensi said, grabbing her friend by her arm and taking her apart.

"Kensi, this is not fair! We'd like to know about _that_ time" Deeks intervened, a mischievous grin planted on his face.

"Shut up Deeks! I said enough for today" his partner threatened to hit him again.

The cop raised his hands in the air, trying to protect himself from the incoming attack "No, please... not again! My shoulders are so sore that I'm not sure I'll be able to move a finger..."

"You better listen to her Deeks, it seems Kensi is pretty mad at you..." Sam warned him, winking cunningly, amused by the whole situation.

"Hey... I did nothing wrong... come on Fern, I've been a good boy"

Callen, shaking his head, dragged him away, leaving the two friends alone and giving them a moment of privacy.

Kensi sighed, then she tentatively stretched her arms attempting to hug Vika who understood her uncertainty and guided her in a tight embrace "It's been so good having you around Kensi... I haven't realized until this night how much I missed you"

"Thanks Vika, it was good for me too, even if you embarrassed me in front of my friends..." the agent paused, breaking the contact with the other woman "You know you're going to pay for this sooner or later"

"Ahahah always the same" Vika laughed loudly, passing a hand in her long red hair "And speaking of your friends..."

"Yeah?"

"You're lucky my dear..."

"Lucky, why?" Kensi wondered a bit puzzled.

"Sam and Callen look after you like you'd be their little sister... and Marty, well... keep him very close, he's amazing, in every sense" Vika's voice was low and grave, but then a smile curved her lips and her tone became more playful "I have never met a man who could resist me... and not for lack of trying on my end. I should have known it was a losing battle... he has eyes only for you"

Kensi was caught unprepared by her friend's statement and her first reaction was to minimize the entity of her words "He's... my partner and he has a tendency to be very protective towards me"

"Believe me sweetie, what I saw in his eyes wasn't only protectiveness... even a blind woman could see that!" Vika took her friend's hand in hers "Be careful Kensi, don't ruin something special because of your stubbornness"

"Hey, I'm not stubborn!"

"Oh yes... of course! As I didn't know that!"

The two women stared at each other, in silence, then burst out laughing and hugged each other.

"Call me when you'll need to talk about... men" Vika winked, casting a glance at Deeks who was chatting with Sam and Callen near the door.

Kensi bit her lip following her friend's gaze, she didn't know why, but she felt her heartbeat quickening its pace and her hands becoming sweaty. What was happening to her? Why was all of this affecting her so much?

Before she could reply Vika told her "You're over-thinking again... just go with the flow. Promise me?"

The NCIS agent bowed her head, inhaling deeply the fresh air of the night "I can't promise you anything..."

"Yeah, yeah... I understand" once again Vika hugged Kensi "Ok, it's time for me to come back to my guests... maybe I'll find the man of my life this night"

"You will never change... Good night Vika... and thanks" Kensi said her goodbye and walked towards her teammates. Sensing their inquisitive looks on her, she asked curiously "What?"

"Nothing... we were just curious to know what you two talked about" Deeks started, narrowing his eyes mischievously "I bet you were sharing other dirty little secrets" this time nothing could stop her from hitting him "Really? What am I? Your personal punching ball?"

"No, just my personal pain in the ass..." she remarked, enjoying seeing him cringing in pain.

"Ohoh... this is heavy!" Sam exclaimed grinning "I sense trouble for you Deeks"

"Nice friends I have... couldn't you help me out? Do you forget that I have to work with her every day? Oh gosh... this is a nightmare..."

"I don't want to sound obvious, but..." Callen was barely holding a laugh "I told you to behave. You should start listening to us, once in a while..."

"But... I... what did I do so wrong? I simply asked some questions and..." Deeks was interrupted by his partner grabbing his shirt and pulling him towards the door "Come on Deeks, I'm driving you home"

The cop looked for Sam's and Callen's glance, but found them laughing "Oh hell... this is bad, this is very bad... Sam? Callen? Anyone... please? Right... my life has just turned into a living hell and they are laughing"

"Told you so..." Sam managed to say between a laugh and another.

"Like this would make me feel better..."

"Deeks!" Kensi almost yelled.

"Please Kensi... don't hurt me too bad, I still have your back, remember?" Deeks was still babbling when he was dragged outside.

"Trouble in paradise..." Callen stated amused, before walking towards the door as well.

"Paradise? Are you sure, G? Tell it to Deeks!" and with that Sam followed his friend outside.

* * *

The following morning Kensi went to pick up Deeks at his apartment since his car needed repairs and was not available. For all the drive from his place to the Mission, she sensed his eyes on her, his mischievous and naughty grin locked on her.

"Would you mind stopping, please?" she told him a bit uncomfortable.

"Stopping what?" he narrowed his eyes, suspiciously.

"Staring at me… it's creepy!"

"So, you're saying I'm creepy… wow, this a good way to start this day!" he remarked, jokingly, his surfer drawl even more evident.

"And your day will go even worse if you won't tell me why you're looking at me like that… with that idiotic expression planted on your face!"

Deeks' tongue played with his lips, amused he couldn't stop smiling cunningly "I'm just… picturing something…"

It was Kensi's turn to be suspicious, she didn't like that look on her partner's face and mostly, she didn't like his tone "Picturing what?"

"Well, actually you… dressed like a PlayBoy bunny girl wandering around the college's library…"

"That little snake!" she exclaimed, blushing, her cheeks of an intense red color "I'm going to kill her… but first I'm going to kill you if you won't stop… imagining things!"

"You have to admit it's not that easy… seriously, you… those legs of yours… those…" he was stopped by the umpteenth punch "Hey, this is getting old!"

"And you won't get old if you will go on thinking about that!"

Deeks laughed massaging his sore arm "But hey, it was such a nice picture…"

Kensi rolled her eyes at her partner's comment "Man, Deeks… how old are you, ten?" she said frustrated "And just for the record, what else Vika told you about me? At least I know why I'm going to kill her…"

"Nah, nothing embarrassing… she was very discrete"

"Oh I can see that. Telling you about that incident was very discrete… of course" her voice had a mocking tone, because deep inside of her she couldn't blame Deeks. He was waiting for something like this for ages, now he was like a kid enjoying a piece of cake "I… I could not notice how close you two were last night…" she changed the subject.

"Another woman who couldn't resist me" Deeks replied sounding even cheekier than usual.

"Ahaha well, considering we're talking about Vika… I bet it's exactly the opposite. She's the quintessential of irresistible. I've never met a man who couldn't say no to her… and believe me, she's pretty stubborn when it comes to get what she wants" Kensi paused looking straight into her partner's eyes that were locked on hers. She felt a shiver ran down her spine when they took life like a real ocean, their intensity touched her, deeply.

"Well… you're looking at one, right now…" he simply said, with that sweet, mellow note in his voice that always drove Kensi mad.

She couldn't understand how he was able to turn from the most annoying, idiotic and childish person on the face of the world to the most sensible man she had ever met in just a blink of an eye; it was a mystery to her.

Deeks realized that she was staring at him right now with her mismatched eyes he adored so much and felt uncomfortable, so he bowed his head and then looked out of the window.

There was a long moment of awkward silence, they were both trying to process what was crossing their minds.

"Kensi I…" "Look Deeks…" they said in unison.

"You're the woman here, your turn" he added a bit embarrassed by the weird situation.

"I'm… sorry, I shouldn't have questioned your behavior… I didn't mean to imply anything with what…"

"It's ok Kens, I got it" he told her.

Again with that damn sweet voice, Kensi thought, biting her lips nervously.

"I shouldn't have made fun of you… but you know that I don't have any filter between my brain and my mouth…" he said almost whispering.

"Brain? Since when you have a brain?" she teased him, winking, relieving the strain between them.

"Touché…" he murmured, tilting his head and nodding "But man, that image was too… tempting…"

Kensi cast him a cold glance, stopping him from going on talking about this matter.

"Your friend is an interesting woman…" started Deeks, rushing to add "I'm serious now. She really cares about you…"

"And how did you come to this conclusion? Just because she made a move on you, doesn't mean you know her so deeply…"

"Not fair, I'm really serious here. It's clear from the way she talks about you that she has a high respect and esteem for you" he paused a moment, but his eyes never left the window "It's nice to think to have someone like her in your life, even if it was a long time since you've seen each other"

"I have to say that it feels good…" Kensi noticed the note of veiled sadness in her partner's voice, something she was not used and that she didn't like, seeing Deeks sad was definitely something she didn't like at all "Isn't it the same between you and Ray?"

His hand moved to his mouth, his fingers playing nervously "Yeah… kinda" he finally turned to look at her, a bitter smile on his lips "Except our friendship started under complete different premises…"

Once again, she was touched by the deepness of his eyes as he spoke, by the seriousness of his words "But it's the result that counts, isn't it?"

Deeks chuckled, amused by the fact of how easily she could make him feel better "Yes, I think it is"

"So… now that we're good, what do you think if we stop by somewhere to get breakfast? I'm… starving!" Kensi told him as an ecstatic expression brightened her whole features.

"You're so predictable! I will never stop being amazed about your love for junk food! Just look at you, you're practically drooling over the idea of eating a donut…"

"I'm not drooling! I'm just enjoying the idea of indulging in my daily dose of sugar"

"Daily dose? Are you kidding me? Your daily dose of sugar is limitless!" he pointed out jokingly.

"Deeks… I need sugar, now… or do you want to work with the sweet-withdrawal version of me all day?"

"Oh please, God saves me!" Deeks widened his eyes, horrified by the idea "Stop at the first café… but hey, it's on you this time"

Kensi shook her head "You're so gallant Deeks, a real gentleman. I can see why women fall for your charm" she told him ironically.

"Do I hear an ironical note in your words?"

"Oh no… I'm serious" she remarked, even more ironical.

"Uhm… yes… I believe you…" the cop stuck up his nose, not convinced at all "But I'm pretty sure you're making a fool of me…"

* * *

Ok, I swear... I wrote the Touchè bit way before watching Recuit! It's something I use a lot! Now it makes me smile every time I read it!

As always I'd be glad if you let me know what you think about this :)


	7. Chapter 7

Poisonous Path - Chapter 7

It was not 9am yet but Sam and Callen were already at the Mission, discussing the case with Nell in front of the screen, next to their desks.

"Flemmings' coworkers didn't tell us anything useful, he looked fine to them, behaving like he had always done, always the first to arrive in the morning, always the last to leave. According to them, Flemmings was pretty dedicated to his job and that didn't leave a big space for private life. No one has ever heard him talking about a girlfriend or something like that" Callen said pointing his finger at the image of Bernard Flemmings on the screen "And this doesn't get along very well with the image of party-boy his sister painted talking to Kensi and Deeks the other day"

"It's like they were not talking about the same man" Sam intervened, venting his doubts "And this rings a bell to me"

"Do we have any news about his connection with Carlsson or with someone of his family?" the blue eyed leader asked.

"It's a dead end. There's no connection at all, from both parts" Nell remarked playing with her keyboard and opening other files that appeared on the plasma. Images of men, and women, floating in the most gruesome position in pools, lakes, rivers and even sea popped up "We ran a search about this mysterious Poison Mary. No one has the slightest idea of what she looks like, where she is from, where she lives. The first crime attributed to her goes back to five years ago, when a business man has been found dead in his swimming pool, with a lethal dose of arsenic in his system… and after he had a wild night of sex. It seems that our Lady Killer has a great knowledge of poisons and chemical substances since she never uses the same one two times in a row… and I bet she has a very high IQ. It takes a lot of brain to do what she does and never been caught" there was a note of admiration in her words that didn't go missed by the two men.

"Did I hear a certain… fangirl squee about it?" Callen wondered, smiling.

"Fangirl what? No… are you kidding me? It's just that… you truly need a great mind to plan deaths like these without leaving a single trace" she pressed another button and a list appeared on the screen "This is a list of the murders she's accused of…"

Sam whistled, opening his eyes "Wow, she's a pro"

"And she likes to travel… she worked in every part of the world. Our lady friend must have high connections to be so… sought-after" the blue eyed man said, reading intently the list "China, Europe, North Africa, America… even in Australia, I bet you're impressed Nell"

She looked at him almost ashamed "I… well, in a certain way her curriculum is truly impressive"

"And because of her impressive curriculum we should find her" Hetty appeared out of nowhere, catching everyone by surprise.

"Hetty… When… I…" Sam shook his head, closing his eyes, he will never get used to his boss' sudden and silent appearances.

"Have you lost the use of your tongue, Mr. Hanna?" the older woman played a little, smiling pleased.

"No, of course not…"

"So you better use it to say something that might be helpful for the case" Hetty scolded him, teasingly "I don't need to remind you that the reason why Sergeant Flemmings had been murdered is very important. We need to determine whether it is work related or personal. And you know very well, that if the first scenario was right, the risk would be enormous. Sergeant Flemmings was in possess of valuable information that could change the sorts of every war… you better remind it"

The ex-Seal was trying to reply to her, when Eric's whistle stopped him.

"Yes, Mr. Beale?" Hetty addressed her computer tech.

"I found something… I think you should come and see"

Everyone got up and climbed the stairs that lead to Ops "What have you got Eric?" Callen asked, out of habits.

"Well, I've been checking Bernard and Alicia Flemmings bank accounts all day, but I wasn't able to find anything interesting. Not until this morning when I noticed this…" a file opened on the big screen.

"What is it, Mr. Beale?" the Operation Manager had her eyes on a long list of number she couldn't decipher.

"It seems that our Alicia Flemmings has a pre-paid credit card she uses mostly for on-line shopping"

"I don't think it's that strange, I do that as well" Sam pointed out, not sure where this conversation was going.

"Yes, but the bank account from which she usually recharges the card is not one of her bank accounts or her brother's, but the money comes from a credit institute situate in the Cayman Islands" said Eric triumphantly.

"Things are getting interesting" stated Nell, moving closer to the screen "It seems there are lots of heavy money movements here. Our dear Alicia has been pretty busy lately"

"Do you have an idea to whom the bank account belongs to?" Callen was curios now, definitely intrigued. Maybe Flemmings' life was not so boring as his coworkers had thought.

"It has been opened in Alicia's and Bernard's name by a Serbian company owned by a certain Miroslav Vucinic. According to financial magazines, he is one of the most powerful men of his country. His empire is based on different companies that deals with metals and their derivatives for the most disparate uses… even in the military field"

"Eric…. Could you give us the shortest version please" Sam pressed the tech.

"Weapons, one of the most remunerative business of Vucinic Industries is the production of weapons of every kind" giving one last press on his keyboard, Eric opened another file that showed up on the screen. Pictures of cannons, guns, rifles and missiles appeared in front of everyone.

"So the Flemmings were in business with Vucinic… Bernard was probably giving this Serbian guy information about the new weapons… but, why kill him? I… I don't understand. If Flemmings was such a good source, why get rid of him?" the ex-Seal couldn't hide his disgust, his usual disgust when it came to Marines who betrayed their country in exchange for money. It was one of the gravest crimes in his Seal book.

"Maybe Flemmings was getting tired of this game or… he was double crossing the man… I think we should pay a visit to Miss Flemmings" Callen suggested, casting another glance to the screen.

"I'll send her address to your phones" Nell told him, sitting in front of her computer.

"Eric, contact Kensi and Deeks and tell them to join us at Alicia's place, update them with the last news"

"On it, Callen" the tech sat beside Nell and started working on his computer as well.

"Mr. Callen, please report to me immediately once you've talked to her" Hetty spoke with an even graver tone "Mr. Beale, I need all the information you can find about Miroslav Vucinic, once you have them, upload them to my computer. In the meantime, I need to make a call to Director Vance" she left Ops, immediately followed by Sam and Callen who rushed down the stairs.

Nell looked at Eric, smiling broadly "That's what I call a great job, champion" she raised her hand so he could high-five it.

"Thanks… it was not that bad" he blushed.

"And you know, this requires the right amount of celebration. We can have something to drink… here, later… when everyone will be out of sight" she suggested him, with a mischievous grin on her smiling face.

"Drink? Here… I don't think Hetty will be happy with it…" he said tentatively, babbling.

"And you're right Mr. Beale" Hetty's voice resounded in the room, freezing both Nell and Eric in their seats.

"Hetty… yes… of course" the computer tech fixed his glasses on his nose and turned his attention back to work.

Nell didn't say anything, feeling a bit guilty.

"And Miss Jones, I will happily partake of something to drink with you, but… downstairs, not in Ops"

Nell couldn't suppress a smile as she replied "Yes, Hetty. It will be our pleasure to share our drinks with you" and with that she went back to work too.

* * *

When Sam parked his Challenger right in front of Alicia Flemmings' house, he soon noticed Kensi's car stopping behind him.

"Cavalry is here" Callen said smirking, he still remembered what happened last night at Vika's house and the angry eyes Kensi had sent to Deeks "Do you think that they're good this morning, Sam?"

"I saw Deeks' mop of shaggy hair coming out of the car, so it seems he's still alive" the ex-Seal grinned, flashing a dimpled smile.

"This is not what I meant exactly, but it's a start…" his partner replied, furrowing his brows.

"Let's hope it's a good start, G… We need them focused" Sam got out of the car and greeted his friend "Good morning Kensi. Hey Deeks… I see you're still among us"

The cop flashed one of his infamous full smiles, casting a glance at his partner "She can't live without me…"

"Oh I can totally picture her weeping because she misses her personal punching bag" Callen said, laughing.

"Hey, I don't weep…!" protested Kensi, pretending to be very disappointed.

"Oh I heard something different last night" Deeks instinctively made a step backwards, expecting the usual treatment from his partner.

Sam whistled amused by the cop's statement "Uh I do need to hear this too! Aren't you curious G?"

"I'm all ears…"

The blond detective was starting telling them the tale, when Kensi's killing look stopped him "Maybe… later" he cleared his throat as he wanted to excuse himself "I… aren't we here because we need to talk with Alicia Flemmings?"

The hilarity of the previous moment were suddenly gone and all the agents turned in serious mode.

"It seems our Flemmings' siblings were hiding something in the end. Eric found a secret bank account at the Cayman's from which once in a while they drew a huge amount of money for their… shopping" Callen explained.

"And there's Serbian business man involved…" Sam continued.

Kensi noticed her partner shivering almost imperceptibly; even after all this time the memory of Lazik and the whole mess with the human traffic, with Jess Traynor's death were still affecting him. She kept in mind to talk him about it later "So, let's go then"

"Ok, you guys go talk to her, she already knows you, maybe she won't be suspicious" Callen suggested "Sam and I will go to the back door, just in case our dear Miss Flemmings will try to escape"

"On it" Both Deeks and Kensi affirmed, walking towards the house.

"You ok?" Kensi asked her partner while approaching the door.

"Yes… I'm good" he cut it short, as he didn't like to talk about it.

"It didn't sound to me, but… it's ok. Whenever you feel like talking… I'm… here…"

Deeks stopped, turning to face her, smiling gently "Sorry… ok? It's just that… Sometimes memories fill your mind and escaping is hard. But I'm good, really…" silently he thanked his partner for being so discrete and not pushy, even if she was aware of his uneasiness. It was a big proof of her trust and he couldn't do anything else other than appreciating it.

She smiled back, reading a grateful note in his eyes "Good to know" she put her arm around his shoulder, in such a natural gesture that almost surprised herself. Embarrassed, she retreated immediately "Come on, let's talk to Alicia"

They were almost at the door when both their instincts kicked in.

"Something is not right here" she stated, getting to her gun.

Deeks mirrored her move "Guys, something is off here" he took a look inside the house where it seemed that a tornado had just passed. He signaled to his partner to get a look inside.

"I see someone on the ground" Kensi whispered in her comm. "Callen, Sam, do you see anything from your position?"

"No, it's clear back here" Sam's voice resounded clear.

"Ok, let's have a look… at count of three" Callen instructed "One… two… three…"

The four agents burst into the house "Federal Agents" they screamed in unison. The moment they stepped inside though they all sensed, a thick acrid smell of gas.

"Get out of here… NOW!" Sam yelled running to the back door from which he and Callen had just walked through. He could feel his partner running behind him. They made it out just in time before they heard it…

Kensi and Deeks did the same rushing through the front door. They were still running when the roaring sound of an explosion shook the entire neighborhood. The cop was looking behind him when he saw the flames approaching them, with one last effort he launched himself against his partner, pushing her outside while broken glasses and debris flew over their head. They landed on the grass with a deaf thud, hell broke lose all around them until blackness engulfed them both…

* * *

Her ears were ringing loudly when Kensi came round. She tried to put herself into a sitting position but her ankle screamed in pain. Biting her lip, using her arms as a leverage, she manage to straighten herself up "Deeks!" she called seeing the prone figure of her partner lying just few inches away from her "Deeks, come on…" she said with an urgent note in her voice.

"Uhm" he groaned grumpily.

She released the breath she was holding finally seeing him moving "Deeks, you ok?"

The cop lifted his head revealing a long series of scratches on his right cheeks, his hair full of dust "What with us and explosions?" he murmured as he tried to stand up "Are you all right?" he asked worried, moving closer to her, touching her lightly on her arm.

"I'm fine" Kensi replied as she tried to get up, regretting it immediately when her ankle protested "Aahhgg"

"Doesn't look exactly fine in my book" the detective told her, helping her on her feet. Noticing that his partner was taking her feet lifted in the air, he asked "Do you mind me taking a look?"

"Yes… I do" she wriggled from his grip, losing her balance and falling directly into his open arms "Oh hell…"

"Told you…" he joked "You probably twisted your ankle in the fall… or worse it could be broken but we won't know until…"

"Ah shut up…" then realization came to her "Oh heck… Sam, Callen, status?" she called, waiting for a reply that didn't come.

"Callen, Sam… come on guys" Deeks said unable to hide his worry because of the lack of answer from their teammates "Kensi, wait here. I'll go check on them" he suggested, while trying to help her to sit down away from the most dangerous area around the remaining of Alicia's house.

"No!" she protested, stubborn as ever "I want to come too"

Deeks could only smile at her. Kensi was covered with dust from head to toe, she could barely stand, clearly in pain, but she didn't want to be left behind. A wave of a new admiration, of pride, hit him… he felt something moving inside of him, a feeling that he had never felt in ages… she couldn't be more beautiful than she was right now at his eyes… Shaking away the awkward and unexpected emotions, he guided her arm right around his shoulder, while his own arm circled her waist. Feeling her body trembling, he could not miss this opportunity to tease her "Don't get anything weird into the thick head of yours now…"

"Shut up and move…" she scolded him; if her arms were free, she would have probably punched him in that moment, but being her, almost incapacitated and in need of his support, Kensi decided to let him be this time.

While walking towards the back entrance of what once was a nice house, Deeks took out his phone and dialed Ops "Eric, we need ambulances at Alicia Flemmings' house. There was an explosion… Kensi and I are good more or less, well I think she has a sprained ankle but you know her"

"What? Yes… right… ambulances… are Callen and Sam with you?" the tech asked worried while he dialed 911 to call for help.

"We're moving to their position, they didn't answer when we called them…" the cop paused when Kensi called again for their friends "Eric, do you have eyes around here?"

"Let me check Deeks…" few minutes later the Eric's voice couldn't hide his disappointment "The images from the cameras are on static, they've been probably blown by the explosion… and by the way, ambulances and a fire squad are five minutes away"

"Thanks Eric…"

"Deeks?" the tech asked, almost whispering "Keep me in the loop…"

"Of course buddy" and with that the cop closed the conversation "How are you doing partner?" he wondered when they arrived to the back.

"I'm good… keep walking…" Kensi froze when she saw two familiar forms on the ground, unmoving "There!"

Sam was leaning against a trash bin, head slightly tilted on one side, a bleeding gash on his arm. Callen was not so far from him, lying unconscious on the ground.

"Sam, Callen!" she yelled quickening her pace and Deeks' at the same time.

"Wow, slow down… or we'll both fall to the ground" the detective told her, losing for a moment his balance.

While they approached they saw the ex-Seal, stirring and they both sighed in relief

"I get Sam, you get Callen" Kensi suggested. Deeks laid her near their awakening friend and moved to check on Callen "Sam… Sam, can you hear me? How are you feeling?" she asked, patting slightly on his cheek.

"Like I've been just blown up and someone is slapping me…"

The female agent couldn't suppress a chuckle "You're lucky I'm not Deeks"

"G!" the ex-Seal shouted trying to get up, but her head started spinning.

"Calm down, Deeks is checking on him" she told him, trying to reassure him, but feeling her heartbeat quickening its rhythm.

"He's alive!" Deeks shouted, releasing another breath he was holding, but the fact that Callen was unresponsive didn't sound very good to him. He checked for evident injuries on his friend's body, then when he saw that everything looked in place, gently, in order not to cause him more damage, he turned the unconscious man on his back. Callen looked unharmed except for a cut on his left temple, that was bleeding profusely "I think nothing's broken, but he's unconscious… and unresponsive" then turning his attention to his friend he murmured "Come on Callen… don't do this to me… come wake up" his voice cracked up a little as he found himself shaking.

After few long moments that looked like a lifetime, Callen stirred and immediately started coughing, pulling himself into a sitting position, mostly out of pure instinct.

"Easy… just take it easy…" Deeks told him, supporting his back; he noticed his friend's confused glance and the impaired eyes.

"Deeks?" the injured man wondered, unable to focus on anything.

"Yes, in flesh and blood" the cop smiled, happy that in spite of his injury, his team leader recognized him "Take it slow because I think you have…" he couldn't finish his sentence…

Callen turned on his side and threw up.

"…a concussion…. Right" the stench of vomit reached Deeks' nostrils making him nauseous, but he tried not to flinch "Just relax… ambulance is on its way".

The sound of sirens approaching was welcomed by the whole team; in a blink of an eye, paramedics and firemen appeared around them, taking care of them and of the ruins of the house. The four agents were taken to the hospitals, leaving behind them fire and destruction.

* * *

So we're back to the case, after the party... things are getting complicated.

I hope you're still with me... just let me know if this is worth keeping it going. Thanks.


	8. Chapter 8

Thanks to whoever is still reading this and to who spent time leaving a few words as a review. It means a lot to me

* * *

Poisonous Path - Chapter 8

Hetty arrived at the hospital with hundreds of thought dancing into her mind; from the first information she had received her team was, all in all, fine, but she couldn't deny a certain sense of anxiety. She was very well at hiding it behind a mask but sometimes it was harder than others to ignore the bad feelings. Every time she sent her men out in the streets, she was aware that some of them might not return, this was something she will never get used to, that she didn't want to get used to. She cared too much about every man and every woman she had under her command, she cared for them personally, even if being in her position, she wasn't allowed to show it openly. And this particular team was something even more special to her.

Spotting two familiar figures standing outside the ER made her release a bit of the breath she was holding "Mr. Hanna, Mr. Deeks… how are you?" she asked checking mentally every injuries the two men showed.

"We're good" Deeks asked for both of the men.

Hetty raised her eyebrows skeptically. The cop's face was covered by scratches, some deeper than others and he cringed every time he moved.

"In your mind, you're good" Sam intervened, his voice couldn't hide a hint of concern "It took the doctors two hours to retrieve all the glass he had in those cuts… not to mention the busted ribs"

"I said I'm good Sam, I don't need you to get all protective on me!" Deeks's tone raised, more than he actually wanted it to do "Sorry… I didn't mean to yell"

Everyone looked at him with growing concern. It was the first time in a long time in which the cop had snapped in such a way and mindful of what happened with Callen last year, they couldn't deny the fact that they were worried about him.

"Mr. Deeks, maybe it would be in your best interest if you sat down and rest a bit" Hetty told him gently, but everyone knew it was an order.

Deeks did what his boss told him to do, moving his hands through his still dusty hair "I'm sorry… really…" he murmured.

Sam had been surprised by the younger man's reaction, he could understand the stress he was going through, but mostly he realized that what Kensi had told them at her friend's house, was true. They were all treating Deeks like he was an invalid, like he was ready to fall into pieces at any moment; for someone like Deeks, someone very independent, used to count only on himself, this must be truly frustrating. In their attempt of making him feel better, they were suffocating him "No need to be sorry. I'm the one who should apologize"

The young man lifted his head, staring intently into his friend's eyes, surprised for the ex-Seal's admission. He gave Sam an acknowledged glance, then smiled weakly "You should sit down as well… I wasn't the one who crashed against a trash bin!"

"Mr. Hanna, I agree with Mr. Deeks, sit down, you too" the Operations Manager used once again her impalpable power to convince her man to do what she wanted "Now that you are settled, do you mind updating me on Miss Blye and Mr. Callen condition?"

Right when Sam was starting to talk, the glass door of the ER opened and a doctor walked out, with Kensi on crutches right behind him.

"Hello Miss Lange, Mr. Hanna… Marty…" Dr. Walcott greeted them with his deep voice "I can't say it's a pleasure to meet you again… here" he smiled gently.

"Hey Doc" Deeks smiled relieved to see a familiar face. The young doctor had been the one who helped him during the first moments of his recovery after his breakdown and had always been around when the cop had needed a gentle voice that wasn't one of his friends' "How are Kensi and Callen doing?"

Walcott cast a kind glance to Kensi as she took a seat beside Deeks "She's got just some bruises here and there, nothing serious. She needs to keep that sprained ankle lifted for three-four days" then speaking directly to her, the doctor added "So, sorry, but desk job for you. Doctor's order"

"We'll be sure to keep her tied to her desk" Deeks replied, grinning, but when he looked straight into Kensi's eyes, there was only relief in his blue orbits.

"What about Callen?" Sam asked about his partner, according to the relaxed atmosphere in the room, he could imagine that Callen was going to be fine, but he couldn't stop worrying, it was in his nature.

"He's going to be fine. He's got a bad concussion, reason why we'll be keeping him overnight, but all the test we ran excluded major or intensive damages. I'm confident he might be released tomorrow morning, but of course, there's no way he'll be up for any field work" Walcott explained, glad to give these people good news.

"Another one to tie to a chair" Deeks stated, receiving a poke in his side from Kensi, that made him wince.

"If you don't get some rest Marty, you'll end up tied to a chair as well" the doctor looked at his former patient with a cunning grin planted on his lips "Maybe it's better if you all go home, get some rest… and take the medicines that have been prescribed to you"

"Not until I'll see G" Sam stated firmly.

"Ok, I give you ten minutes. Then I'll kick you all out of here"

"Don't worry, doctor. I'll be sure to kick them out myself" Hetty said with her characteristic mischievous smile, everyone feared "Thanks doctor, for everything"

"Just doing my job" Walcott was saying his goodbye when remembered something "Marty, can I talk to you for a minute, please?"

Deeks froze, not expecting this at all "Is there anything wrong?"

"No, don't worry… nothing wrong. I need you just for a minute"

The cop stood up slowly, holding his ribcage. He exchanged a look with Kensi who was more confused than he was "Ok…" and with that he followed Walcott inside the ER.

"Hetty, do you have an idea of what's going on?" Sam wondered, hoping that his boss knew something they didn't.

"I'm at loss as much as you all are, but according to Dr. Walcott's expression, I truly think there's nothing to worry about" the older woman remarked, hoping to sound convincing, but deep inside herself, she was concerned as well.

"I truly wish you're right, Hetty" Kensi sighed heavily, feeling a growing anxiety inside of her. When it came to Deeks' health, she was never at ease… seeing him hurt again was nothing she would like to see, not anymore.

* * *

"How are you doing Marty?" Dr. Walcott asked smiling gently to his former patient.

"I'm… fine" Deeks answered but when he noticed the doctor raising his eyebrows skeptically, he added "Well, a bit sore and itchy, but… I've been worse…" he scrutinized Walcott's eyes before asking "What's up doc? I don't think you only want to have a chit and chat…"

"Always perceptive… no wonder you're good at what you do" the doctor locked his glance on Deeks', his expression serious now "Ok, I'll go straight to the point then. The moment you've been admitted here, I received a call from LAPD, asking me a complete evaluation on you"

The cop froze, not liking at all the turn this conversation was taking "What do you mean by that? What kind of evaluation?"

"As you can imagine, after what happened last year, someone at LAPD is keeping an eye on you, on your job… and on the way you're acting, on the way you're behaving. They're monitoring you…"

Deeks narrowed his eyes even more, growing upset.

"They… want to know if you're up to do your job…"

"If I'm going crazy… that's what they want to know!" snapped the Detective feeling betrayed.

"But you're not going crazy… and from what Dr. Morrow told me, you're doing more than great in that department…" Walcott smiled, trying to reassure his patient.

"Wait… you and Dr. Morrow talked… about me?"

"Marty, as your doctor…"

"You were not my doctor anymore! Not after I've been cleared to go back to work!" Deeks ran again his hand through his hair, disappointment could be read on his face "Hell, I trusted you and you…"

"I'm your friend here, Marty" the doctor stated, firmly. So firmly it was impossible not to believe in him.

"So why are you spying on me? Why are you doing this?"

"Doing this what? Why do you think I wanted to talk to you? Because I care about you, because I wanted to warn you… because I feel like you don't need monitoring anymore… you're perfectly sane for God's sake!" it was Walcott's turn to raise his voice now "When they called me, they asked me if I felt that you were still up to do your job… if you were going through too much stress that you can't keep it…"

"And what did you tell them?" a venomous note could be heard in the Detective's tone.

"That probably they were more stressed than you are with all their continuous research of a failure on your end…"

Deeks stared at the doctor mouth open for few seconds, then burst out laughing, ironically "You're crazy…"

"Oh yes… crazier than you have always been" a cunning grin curved Dr. Walcott's lips.

The cop bowed his head, looking very guilty "I'm sorry… I… I shouldn't have doubted you"

"No need to be sorry, I would have done the same in your shoes…"

"Did you really tell them that?" the cop chuckled realizing the weight of the doctor's words.

"Well, maybe not exactly in that terms, but close enough. I think they got the message" Walcott's expression lost all the playful notes "I thought it was right for you to know about all of this, so you'd be prepared, just in case… Dr. Morrow and I would have never cleared you for active duty if you weren't up for that. LAPD's intromission is an affront to our professionalism as well. Do you think I would have let them go that easily? No way…"

"You know, it's good to know that there are still people like you all around. Loyalty is not easy to find anymore… I… I don't know how to thank you enough for this" Deeks said, clearly moved by Walcott's behavior "In my job I've seen so much… evilness, so many bad things, that sometimes it makes you lose the faith in the world, makes you lose the will to go on. Then things like this happen… and you realize life is worth living. Until there's a little bit of humanity all around, it's good to be able to work to preserve it…"

The doctor was touched by the deepness of the cop's speech, by its meaning "See? Anyone who's able to say such profound words can't be crazy at all…"

Deeks laughed out loud "Me, profound? I need to tape this one and let Kensi hear it…"

"Oh don't be too hard with her… she knows you're not an idiot"

"Wait… did she really say this?" the detective grinned cunningly, pleased to have another ace in the hole against his partner "Did she really think I'm not an idiot?"

Walcott felt a little bit cornered "Well, yes… not exactly, but yes.. she…"

"Oh heck, you scared!" Deeks couldn't contain himself, laughing ever harder.

"She's too badass for my well-being…"

"You better watch what you're saying… because I'm so going to tell her you said that" the cop continued with his teasing, finally feeling a bit lighter. He looked straight at the doctor, locking his blue eyes on his green ones, offering a hand to shake "Thanks doc… for everything. I… will try to do everything I can to deserve your respect…"

"Oh, don't be an idiot. I don't give my respect away so easily… you earned it… so…"

Deeks bowed his head, once again moved by the affection of the young doctor.

"I'll let you know if I have to hear from LAPD again, ok?" Walcott went on "Just to keep you in the loop. I won't make the mistake of hiding this to you"

"Thanks… I… I truly appreciate it" the cop extended his arm again and the two men exchanged a strong hand-shake, their eyes locked to each other's.

"Now, out of here… or your friends will be going to get worried"

Deeks shook his head, smiling "I bet they already are…"

"They are your friends… it's normal" there was a lot of meaning into Dr. Walcott's few words "Now, remember to get some rest and take your painkillers if your ribs will bother you this night. And call me whenever you need it…"

"I'll do for sure. Thanks again doc" Deeks turned on his heels and left the room, feeling once again at peace. He was still amused by the fact that he had found people who really cared about him, in spite of everything he was, of everything he went through… damn it! He could get used to this.

* * *

The following morning, Deeks had gone to retrieve Kensi's car at the crime scene and Sam had done the same with his Challenger, both cars had miraculously survived teh explosions. Before leaving to go to pick up their respective partners, the two men decided to take a look around, maybe they were lucky and they could find something useful.

"Wow… that was a hell of an explosion!" the cop exclaimed whistling. The entire house had been razed to the ground, debris were scattered in a huge area around it and even some of the houses in the neighborhood had been damaged by the blast. A shiver ran down the cop's back at the thought that they had been so close when it happened, realizing they had been lucky, very lucky to get out of here almost unscathed.

Sam noticed the deep frown on his friend's expression, imagining what he was thinking, because he was sure the same thought was crossing his mind. They were all alive… and it was almost a miracle "We made it, that's all that matters…"

Deeks turned to face the ex-Seal, a bit surprised "Since when I've become so transparent?"

"Hey… I feel the same"

"You, Mr. Action Man? Tough Navy Seal Sam Hanna? Really? I'm impressed…" the cop smiled faintly "I thought I would have never seen the day you and I could think the same thing at the same time… we're not that different then"

"Don't go too far with your imagination Shaggy boy… you and I are still living in different universes!" Sam stated as he started walking towards the ruins of the house.

"But… we collided and this is good, isn't it? It's a good starting point to…"

The ex-Seal turned around and cast a scolding glance at the blond detective, silencing him without adding a single word.

"Ok… I got it. I… shut up…" Deeks moved slowly to join the other man, his ribs were bothering him a bit, but he didn't want to show any weakness. So he inhaled deeply and walked after Sam. Once they got to what was the living room, he said "I don't think there's something very useful here… the biggest piece of furniture is smaller than a stamp! Maybe we can put them together… like a puzzle. I'm good at doing that, what about you? Or maybe we can let Callen and Kensi do that, since they'll be grounded for a few days"

"Oh yes… you wish" even if he wanted, Sam couldn't stop himself from chuckling at the idea of his partner doing a puzzle.

"Oh come on Sam, give me a smile… I know you like my idea, but you don't want to admit it because it would mean that our universes have collided again!" the cop was right beside his friend now and they were looking straight into each other eyes "Just a smile…"

Sam gave up and smiled.

"I knew that!" said Deeks triumphantly.

The smile died almost immediately though on the ex-Seal's face "Have you heard anything from forensics?" he asked seriously.

"Well, I did my liaison job, for once, and… yes, I heard from them" the blond detective paused a little, casting a look at the burnt area, stopping when he recognized the exact point where Alicia's body had been lying when they got here "It seems that there wasn't any trace of smoke in Alicia's lungs… so…"

"She was already dead when this place blew up" Sam finished "Any indication of the cause of death?"

"Not yet, they are still working on it… but they said that they'll keep me posted" there was a note of satisfaction in Deeks' voice.

"Good, Eric and Nell are working on the camera footage. Maybe they'll be able to find out who paid her a visit…"

The cop frowned, lost for a moment in his thoughts "She was scared… she didn't say anything, but both Kensi and I saw that. She was afraid of something… well, after what happened here, I can say she was scared of someone, mostly…"

"Maybe if she talked to us, she wouldn't be dead by now… maybe if we got here earlier…"

"Sam, even if we're good at what we do, we're not infallible…"

Sam locked his glance on Deeks', narrowing his eyes "What's happening here? You're lecturing me… something doesn't sound right in this picture"

"Hey, you forgot I've been going in and out a psychologist office for almost a year… maybe I learnt something" the cop played, but there was a serious note in his voice, that unsettled his friend a bit. Deeks saw Sam's shoulder got tense, sensing his uneasiness. So biting his lips nervously, he tried to walk away from him.

"Deeks, wait" the ex-Seal stopped him, taking him by his arm "We need to talk"

"I don't think this is the right moment and we're in the middle of an investigation…" the cop's blue eyes were of a dark blue, even deeper than usual "…and we are both taking painkillers, maybe… we… we might say things that we don't want to say. Or hear…"

"No, I think the moment is right, because I need to tell you something. To apologize"

"Apologize? For what? I…" Deeks muttered, feeling a growing feeling of anxiety inside of him.

"I… we actually, G and I… we've not been fair to you lately" Sam paused, waiting for the other man to process his words "Maybe we gave you the wrong idea…"

"If you mean that I had the wrong idea when you went all mother hen on me…" a hint of a smile curved the cop's lips, but his expression was more than serious.

"Oh cut the crap, Deeks! I'm trying to be serious here… we treated… well, we're still treating you with white gloves, going very soft on you"

"And since when this is so… bad?" smirked Deeks.

"Since when it's not right! Since when treating you like that gives you the impression we don't trust you, that we're afraid you could snap again and hurt one of us!"

The cop blinked several times, surprised by his friend's statement. He didn't see that coming. As usual, he tried to reply with a witty remark, with a snarky comment but, he failed miserably "Wow…I don't…"

"You better shut up and let me finish…" Sam silenced him, but without anger, with unsuspected kindness "We trust you Deeks, we trust you while we're on the streets, we even trust you around Kensi… and you know what it means to us. If we sounded a bit overprotective it's because… because we're a team, we cared about one another. When one of us has a problem, everyone's got a problem. When one of us is in trouble, everyone's ready to do everything to help. It's the way we work, the way we function… you're a part of all of this" he watched his teammate intently, seeing his lips trembling, his eyes veiled "And you better start to understand that. I'm sorry that in our attempt of taking care of you, of trying to protect you, to help you, we worsened things… but believe me, we only meant well"

Deeks stood still, unable to find the right words to reply. He was more than moved… hundreds of emotions were flooding his heart in this moment. He always expected Sam to be the hardest on him, the one who confided the less in him, in his ability; hearing the big man opening up with him in such a honest way, warmed him from the inside, filling him with joy "Thanks" he only managed to say before his throat was clenched in a tight knot.

"We didn't want to give you the impression we didn't trust you, because we did, we do… you're one of us" Sam laid a hand on his friend's shoulder, a silent gesture that meant more than millions of words.

The younger man simply nodded, biting the inside of his mouth "Wow" he panted, bowing his head and smiling almost hysterically "This is a lot to… process"

"Just the truth" Sam didn't flinch, didn't move at all, the fingers of his hand still on Deeks' shoulder moved to the blond detective's neck, a sign of brotherly affection "We good now?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, because after we'll be finished taking a look around here, we'll have a couple of restless partners to pick up" the ex-Seal told the cop, pretending to be horrified.

"Oh God! Can we just skip that part? Do you have the slightest idea what a grounded Kensi could do to me? My day is going to be a living hell!" Deeks echoed gravely.

"Oh don't tell me… I think just the idea of being forced to desk job will drive G crazy…"

"Are you sure we can't just… you know… sneaking around, saying that we found a lead in the investigation? Just for today…"

Sam cast a scared glance to his friend "Are you so willing to die so young?"

"That bad?"

"Worse…"

Deeks sighed heavily, closing his eyes imagining his imminent future "Ok, let's do it… but I have to ask Hetty for some sort of compensation, you know just in case… I need to preserve all of my unquestionable charm…"

The ex-Seal chuckled, he will never stop being surprised by Marty Deeks. The young detective could switch from cheeky-mode to serious-mode at light speed without losing the lucidity in the focal moments… sometimes he would like to be able to do that. It was weird, but here, in the middle of ruins and debris, Sam finally started to understand his friend even better and his respect for him grew exponentially. Someone who went through everything the blond cop had to go through and came out with this sense of humor, actually lame most of the time but this was not the important matter, and with this way to go on with his life, deserved respect and the ex-Seal was happy to give it to Deeks. "I'd like to see you do that…"

"Hey, are you doubting me, Sam? Because if I'm not wrong, I was able to force Hetty to give me a $50000 credit card the first day I worked with you… when all of you were afraid of asking her"

"Deeks… she made you sign a paper… and threatened you with a letter opener" Sam objected, smirking "I won't call it a perfect operation…"

"Every mission has its hazards…" Deeks paused, flashing another cheeky grin of his "And I got the card…" he patted his friend's shoulder and slowly he walked away whistling satisfied.

"And I wonder why I still lose time talking to him…" Sam shook his head in disbelief and moved to join his friend.

* * *

It was my first attempt to write a scene between Sam and Deeks, because Sam is the character I find harder to write. I hope I get it good enough to make it believable.

And side note, I'm almost finished writing this story so I think updates will be more frequent... just in case you still want to see where I'm going with it ;)

It's been awhile since I've said it, but please excuse me for all the mistake and for my bad English...


	9. Chapter 9

As always I'd like to thank who read this, followed it and who reviewed it. You made my day! A big big thank you!

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Poisonous Path - Chapter 9

When Sam and a very grumpy Callen stepped through the door of the Mission, they noticed that Deeks and Kensi were already there and as always they were already bickering and bantering like two kids.

"Kensi, no! I said that one is enough! At least for today…" Deeks exclaimed, walking backwards, away from Kensi's desk as she tried to get up "Ahaha, no way Fern… remember, doc's order and… just in case you have the slightest intention of moving a single step on that ankle, just remember I brought a rope with me… but maybe I should have taken a leash with me, Monty's spare one perhaps …"

"Deeks! You're… you're…"

"Handsome? Charming? Irresistible? Yeah… I know…" he grinned.

"You're dead! Give me another Twinkie… or two or I'm going to kill you!" Kensi shouted frustrated.

"No way… being on desk-duty won't allow you to burn the calories, I don't want to be forced to work with a double-size version of Kensi Blye next week…" Deeks was enjoying this moment so much, he knew he had touched a raw nerve.

"Aaaggghh. Please Deeks… just one…" she begged, childishly.

"Good attempt, you should practice it for our next undercover operation, but for now… it's not working" he was waving a box of Twinkies in the air, spreading the aroma in the whole room. Suddenly the cop felt someone taking the paper box away.

"Works… for me" Callen laid the Twinkies on Kensi's desk receiving the most amazing and full smile she was able to show.

"Callen! My hero…" she exclaimed, opening the box and biting the snack avidly, then after swallowing, she wondered "Hey, how are you feeling?"

"I'm good… good enough to go out in the field…" came the angry remark of the blue eyed leader who was sporting a big patch on his temple.

"Not in this life, Mr. Callen!" Hetty appeared as always out of nowhere.

"But I'm good, even the doctor said that I'm good to…"

"You've been declared good, as you like to put it, only to do some light desk job and you'll do exactly this" the older woman paused looking straight into his senior agent's eyes "And don't even attempt to protest. I have already had this conversation with Miss Blye and I'm not eager to repeat myself. You two are desk-bound for at least three days. In case of necessity, Mr. Hanna and Mr. Deeks will be able to take care of everything outside of here"

Callen tried to protest, but Hetty stopped him immediately.

"I said I didn't want to hear any more word on this subject" she repeated firmly receiving grateful smiles from both Deeks and Sam.

"Sorry G, I tried to warn you on our way to the office, but you didn't want to listen to me…"

"Sam, I'm not in the mood ok? I just hate being so… so…"

"Useless" Kensi finished for him, venting her own frustration.

"Yes, that and…" Callen continued until Kensi interrupted him again.

"…out of the loop"

"Can you see that, Sam? Aren't they cute together?" Deeks mocked them as he watched his partner throwing a pen at him, he dodged the object, protesting loudly "Hey, this is attempted murder of a Police Officer, as your lawyer I warmly advice you to change your attitude or you'll be arrested!"

Before Kensi could reply, Eric climbed down the stairs, drawing everyone's attention playing a pink toy trumpet.

"Mr. Beale, what's all this fuss about?" Hetty looked at him with interrogative glance.

"Well, I thought that since Callen is a bit… well, he's just got out of the hospital and since Kensi can't climb the stairs, I could come down here to update you…"

"No! This is not fair. I was ready to play Prince Charming and taking her upstairs holding her in my arms…" Deeks protested a bit disappointed "I… expected something different from you buddy…"

"Sorry Deeks, I.. I didn't think about it…"

"Mr. Beale? I assume you have something important to tell us" the Operations Manager cut him short.

"Actually, yes" Nell said sneaking out of nowhere.

"What…? Are you taking after-work-courses of "sneaking-ness" from Hetty?" Deeks felt everyone's eyes on him as he sat on his partner's desk "I… come on, I know you think the same…"

"Yes, but only you could be so brave to say that out loud, Shaggy Boy…" Sam whispered in his ear.

"Miss Jones, Mr. Beale… please, continue and forgive Mr. Deeks'… exuberance" Hetty exhorted the two techs.

"As you well know, we recovered as much as we could of the camera feed outside Alicia Flemmings' house. It's been a hard work because after the explosion the camera was badly damaged, but fortunately it had an on-line back up on a Private Security Service company site… anyway, most of the images are useless. It seems that our Miss Flemmings didn't have a very busy social life, well… actually it seems that after your last visit…" Eric addressed both Kensi and Deeks while talking "…she never left her house and no one visited her"

"Yes… no one visited her, until yesterday morning" Nell moved towards the screen and touched it. A video started playing.

They saw a woman, with shoulder length black hair, partially hidden under a black Borsalino hat, ringing at the door. She was wearing a pair of black jeans and a black leather jacket. Black sunglasses covered her eyes. Alicia opened the door after the woman's third attempt and immediately after seeing her, she hugged the black clothed woman, guiding her inside.

"They looked very… friendly" Callen stated, furrowing his brows.

An hour and half later, the same black clothed woman, left Alicia Flemmings' house, walking away, on foot, soon disappearing from the camera range.

Nell forwarded the video until the moment Sam and Kensi's cars stopped in front of the house. Nothing had happened in the meantime.

"Mr. Beale, have you been able to identify the woman?" Hetty asked, voicing what everyone was thinking. They all knew that they had just seen Alicia Flemmings' murderer in action.

"Sadly no. She's a pro, no kidding. She was good enough to hide from the camera so identification is almost impossible… but I'm still working on it" Eric excused himself, embarrassed of his lack of valuable information.

"Good, do everything you can"

"…but we found something else" Nell then said, playing with her pad. Another video feed appeared on screen "This is the video from the cameras outside Brent Carlsson's mansion…"

Silence fell into the room, when the images of a car stopping in front of the iron gate, showed up. There were two people in the car, a woman and a man "According to the plate, the car is registered to Bernard Flemmings" Eric preceded the others' question.

"Look who's the woman…" Kensi said watching a tall woman, black clothed again, getting out of the car and disabling the alarm system, then when Flemmings drove the vehicle inside, she touched the control panel of the alarm, switching it back on.

Once again Nell forwarded the video to the point when the same car approached the gate, this time the mysterious woman got out of the driving side… there was no trace of Bernard Flemmings anymore. The woman went back into the car and drove away.

"And this is the last image before the arrival of Carlsson's limousine" Eric stated gravely.

"So… this is the closest image of our dear Poison Mary" Deeks said, his eyes fixed on the screen.

"So it seems…" echoed Sam.

"Eric, did you find Flemmings' car? Any idea where is it?" Callen wondered, moving closer to the screen.

"Still looking for it…" the tech answered "…and there's something more"

"Again?" Deeks wondered "Wow, you two have been really busy… are you living here… in Ops? Because…"

Kensi poked him in the ribs to shut him up, making him wince though "Oh… sorry, I forgot…" she laid a hand on his shoulder "Are you ok?"

"Good… just good" he closed one eye, inhaling deeply, then when finally his breathing got back to normal, he flashed one of his smiles "…and you were worried about me"

She rolled her eyes "You never miss a chance!"

Deeks didn't add anything more, just a "Thank you" said in a sweet voice.

"Ehm ehm…" Nell interrupted the awkward moment, she had noticed Kensi bowing her head, clearly embarrassed so she decided to jump into the conversation, to save her from further snarky comments "Answering your question, Deeks, yes, we've been busy…" after the words left her mouth, she realized that they could have been misinterpreted "Not busy… in the way… in that way…"

"Miss Jones, focus, please" Hetty finally told her, moving everyone's attention on the case.

"Yes, of course… we checked that club, The Golden Eye and wonder what we got?" after Eric had finished talking, a blurry image took life on screen, a blurry image of Sergeant Bernard Flemmings leaving the club with a black clothed woman in his arm, a blurry image of Sergeant Flemmings leaving the club with his assassin.

"Mr. Beale, Miss Jones, I don't want to repeat how vital it is to find an ID of that woman" Hetty said to her two techs.

"Of course, we'll… be in Ops… checking" Nell nodded in understanding, taking Eric by his shirt and guiding him upstairs.

"Mr. Callen, Miss Blye, since you are tied to your chairs" a mischievous grin curved her lips while speaking "…you could take another look at those camera feeds, maybe you'll notice other details"

"But… why can't we…" Kensi protested, but the older woman cast her a rebuking glance "Oh… ok…"

"This day is going on better and better" Callen murmured grumpily.

"Would you like to go back to the hospital, Mr. Callen? I know a lot of ways to achieve this goal…"

"No, I pass…" he retorted, not convinced.

The Operations Manager simply ignored him this time "Mr. Hanna, Mr. Deeks, I need a report on your recent trip to Alicia Flemmings' house… in an hour, please"

"An hour? But you know I'm a slow typing guy… I…"

"Mr. Deeks, don't underestimate yourself, I saw how quick you are when you're tweeting. Maybe if you decided to post your report on Twitter, I'd receive it in a few minutes…"

"I… sorry, is this some sort of twisted compliment or you're scolding me like I was a child?" Deeks furrowed his brows, trying to decipher the meaning of his boss' words.

"Don't go there Deeks… and start typing down that report" Sam told him, smiling and shaking his head, as he sat at his desk.

"But… no, hey I simply want to know…"

Callen burst out laughing "Definitely a scolded child!"

"Can you see that? It's what I have to face every day…" Kensi rolled her eyes, covering them with her hand "You know maybe being grounded has its bright side"

"Oh, don't say that… I know you will miss my charming personality, my stunning presence beside you! You already do…" winked the cop.

"Yes, like I miss an annoying bug flying around me…"

"One-zero for Kensi" Sam said , chuckling.

"You know Sam, you should support me. I'm your partner today… and partners should have each other back"

"Deeks, please, don't remind me that…" and with that the ex-Seal, started working on his computer.

The cop looked at him pretending to be very disappointed "Well, thanks partner… I owe you one!" he told his temporary partner, ironically, then he sat at his desk and went back to work too.

* * *

Half an hour later, Sam had took a very restless Callen outside, to get some fresh air, leaving in that way Kensi and Deeks working at their respective computers; she was watching at the cameras footage while he was trying to type his report.

"Oh hell… really? Again?" the blond detective asked himself, sounding really frustrated.

"What's up Deeks? Typing down few words is a job too tiring for your lazy brain?" Kensi wondered, smiling at the scene. It was evident that the report was not coming along as he wanted and it was incredibly funny to see him getting so exasperated. She didn't miss the opportunity to tease him about "Oh wait… maybe it's too hard for you, because, actually, you don't have a brain!"

Deeks didn't want to play her game and gave her the silent treatment instead, for once he changed his tactic.

"Seriously? A silence? You're shocking me Deeks. Are you sure that you didn't bump your head yesterday?" she insisted, inside of her she prayed he could crack a joke, because she truly needed a little break from the boring job she was doing.

"Do you mind going on doing… what you're supposed to do, please? Because if you haven't notice, someone is trying to work here…"

This time Kensi started to get worried, Deeks never gave her this kind of dry answers, not even when he was mad at her "Hey, are you ok?" she asked with a sweet voice.

Finally the cop lifted his head from his computer's screen and stared at her, smiling gently at her caring question "I'm good, Kens"

She raised her eyebrows skeptically "Sure? It's like you're fighting a battle with your keyboard… and you're losing" when she saw him sticking out his tongue, she knew his mind was focused on something else and that he could not concentrate on his job "Would you like to talk about it? Is it about what Dr. Walcott wanted to tell you yesterday?"

Deeks took a deep breath, his hand moved instinctively to his forehead as his fingers brushed away a golden lock "Yeah… kinda…" he was aware that this was not enough for his partner, that he had to do better than this, that he had to talk to her "He… he said that LAPD is monitoring my moves, keeping a close eye on me"

Kensi frowned, puzzled "What… what do you mean?"

The cop got up and started pacing, clearly bothered by what he was going to say "The doc told me that when we've been admitted to the ER yesterday, after the explosion, someone from LAPD contacted him to make sure I didn't lost it again, that I… that I was still able to do my job…" a bitter smile curved his lips "I'm not… crazy Kens, I don't need monitoring, I… I need…" he had to stop as a mix of anger and disappointment flowed through his mind.

This was a moment in which Kensi wanted to get up and stand right in front of her partner, looking straight into his blue eyes and let him know that they were not LAPD, that they all knew he was not crazy or on the edge of another breakdown. She wanted to get up and touch him so he could feel her presence, her support, but she was stuck in this damn chair, especially after Deeks had hidden her crutches somewhere out of her sight "Deeks, stop pacing and look at me" she ordered, very bossily.

At first he was taken aback by her request, but then he did what she asked him to do.

"Everything is fine, we all know that… LAPD doesn't know anything about you instead. We work with you every day, we go outside chasing the bad guys together, we spend the most part of the day with you…" she paused letting him digest her words "We're a team… they have only to try to mess up with you, because they'll have us to respond to"

Deeks could not hold a laugh at her statement "Wow? This was so… sexy! You know how much I love when you're so homicidally angry…"

"Just wait until I'll go all homicidal on you… and believe me, if you won't stop behaving like you don't trust us to have your back, it'll happen very soon!" she grinned, happy to see the change in his attitude, to see his shoulders slightly relax. Mentally though she took note to refer to Hetty about this conversation; knowing their Operations Manager, LAPD will soon stop spying on Deeks.

"Ok, ok, you won!" he bowed his head, losing himself into his thoughts. "You know that… that Hetty gave me an application for me to sign, an application to become a real agent, a NCIS agent…?"

Kensi's jaw dropped, almost shocked "You… you never told me, but why… why didn't you sign it? Things would be… easier, but please don't tell me you don't think you're good enough… because I don't buy it. We both know the truth" she gave him a faint smile, but her mind was trying to process the new information she had just received.

Deeks' hand moved to his mouth as he sat back at his desk "Don't misunderstand me, but… even if I know that… I belong here, with you… with you all…" he promptly précised "…like I've never belonged anywhere else, being a cop is… what I always wanted to be after quitting being a lawyer. Being a cop is what I am… who I am, it's hard to explain with words, but it's something I feel fitting me like a glove, like a second skin, like…I feel like I was born to be a cop…" he took a deep breath before going on talking, he wasn't sure his partner could truly understand what he was telling her, the deep meaning of what he was saying "I know that things would be definitely easier if I was an agent, but I know that deep inside of me I won't be the same person, that there will be something missing…"

Kensi studied him intently, analyzing every single line of his face, every little twitch of his eyes, every single movement of his mouth; she didn't need to be a genius to see that something was eating him "But…?"

Once again he chuckled, shaking his head, he could never hide anything to his partner, she knew him too well "But… I feel like they're doubting me and I can't take that, not now…" his hands curled into fists, unconsciously… nervously "Not with everything going on lately. I need… certainties, I do need them"

She could hear his voice cracking a little and her anger grew wider. He hated seeing her friend so hurt, so broken and she hated even more the fact that something he truly believed in, was making him suffer, something he had dedicated a good part of life, something to which he sacrificed a lot, almost too much. How ungrateful was it from LAPD part? Why did they like to play with him like that? No, this was wrong… this was very wrong "You have certainties with us Deeks, you should know by now… why… why don't you talk to Hetty about this? Probably she… she will be able to help you"

"But she can't take the decision for me… and I promised myself that the moment I would have been ready to accept Hetty's offer, it would be because I felt it here, inside my heart, not because I was forced to make that choice"

Kensi could see from the veil matting his eyes how conflicted Deeks was "I know that the decision will be yours and yours only, and I even understand the way you're feeling about being a cop, but… I know how this situation is affecting you and I don't want to see you get sick because of this…" she hesitated before going on with a kind voice "One time was enough for me…"

He looked at her, not sure if he had heard it right, did she really say that? The cop wanted to tell his partner something, but his throat was, all of the sudden, dry and he was unable to speak.

Kensi realized the weight of her affirmation, she had never exposed herself in this way with him and this scared her "I… seeing you in that hospital's bed, completely unresponsive, has been one of the worst experiences of my life and I don't want you to re-live it…" she locked her eyes on his, feeling the tumult in those ocean orbits, probably the same tumult Deeks was seeing into hers "This is why… you have to look into your heart, listen to it, choosing the option that makes you feel better, that makes you truly happy…"

"Wow… I… I can listen to your advice, Doctor Blye. I will… actually…" the cop was still talking when he saw his partner cast a glance at the screen in front of her, changing expression. Her face pale as a ghost "Kensi… what's wrong? Come on tell me. You're scaring me…"

"I… I can't believe it…" she only managed to say, clearly in shock.

Deeks moved behind her so he could look at the screen of her computer and see what she was seeing, that caused such a sudden change in her attitude "Kens, what's in this picture?" he narrowed his eyes, mentally scanning every bit of the image.

"It's… this is from the cameras outside the Golden Eye… I… I can't believe it" she repeated, bringing her hand to her mouth "Look… here…"

And the cop finally saw it, saw what Kensi had seen "Is it what I think it is?" he murmured, coming closer to the monitor.

" I fear so…" she practically whispered.

"When has this one been taken?"

Kensi read the date on the corner of the image and sighed "According to this" she pointed a trembling finger at the screen "…ten days ago" she worked on her computer and after few clicks, the picture was definitely clearer and didn't leave her with any doubts.

"Wow, I didn't see this coming…" Deeks laid a hand over his partner's shoulder, gently, sensing her discomfort, he could imagine how she was feeling in this moment "I… I better go get Sam and update Hetty about this…"

"Yeah…" she replied distracted; she couldn't take away her glance from the screen, her eyes locked on one of the two figures in the picture "What's the story now? What the hell were you doing?"

* * *

So... what did Kensi see? It's not that hard... :)

Let me know your thoughts, I'll appreciate it!


	10. Chapter 10

So it's time to find out what / who Kensi saw in the video... someone guessed it right. I hope you won't be diappointed with this.

As always thanks for reading and leaving a review... it means a lot to me, I'm serious here :)

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Poisonous Path - Chapter 10

"So, you want to tell me about this… or what?" Kensi placed a picture on the table, pushing it in front of the woman sitting in the chair opposite to her in the interrogation room at the boatshed. She could feel Deeks' presence beside her, but her eyes didn't look for him. They were too focused, locked on the gorgeous redheaded woman.

A trembling hand moved the picture closer "Kensi, I…"

"No, Vika, I'm agent Blye now… please tell me…" she was studying her friend, taking note of her reaction. She could see that Vika was shaking, clearly terrified, mostly scared "Why didn't you tell us?"

Vika bowed her head staring at her figure in the photo, at her unequivocally demeanor towards the man who was sitting with her on one of the benches just outside the Golden Eye and shivered "I… I should have told you" she said with a feeble voice as she embraced herself.

"Why don't you start from the beginning?" Deeks intervened, but both women in the room ignored him, they had their eyes locked to each other's; he felt like he was in the middle of a magnetic field, with electricity sparkling all around.

Vika took a deep breath and still with her glance on her friend, she started "I met him a couple of months ago… Bernard was nice, funny, he always made me laugh, and I think I… I fell for him. We started a relationship, seeing each other almost every night, we spent a lot of time at the club but we usually went to my place at the end of the night, because he still lived with his sister, Alicia"

"Do you know her?" the cop asked again.

"I met her three or four times, but I can't consider her a friend"

"Vika, Alicia is dead" Kensi told her friend, coldly. She saw the color leaving Vika's face.

"Oh… oh God… what, what happened? When…" the redheaded woman now was trembling even more evidently and pure terror could be read in her green eyes.

"She's been… killed, by someone who almost got us killed too…" Kensi said dryly, as she was talking about something happened to someone else. She didn't want to betray any emotion and mostly she was trying to keep the interrogation to a professional level, without any personal interference.

Vika cast a questioning glance to her, as she was asking if they were ok.

"We're good, all in all… just a bit banged up, but good" the female agent broke eye contact with her friend for the first time, looking at her partner who had brought his hand to his cheek, where the cuts and the scratches were.

"Good…" the other woman gave her a little smile, seeming truly relieved to hear that "Are you… you're not thinking that… I… that I killed Bernie, that I did that to him…" her eyes were filled with tears now and her voice was cracking.

Deeks passed her a box of Kleenex and went on questioning her "We're here to understand…"

"But I didn't kill Bernie… I… I really liked him and Alicia, well I barely knew her!" Vika almost yelled unable to hide her frustration and her fear.

"So did you lie to me… to us?" Kensi corrected herself "Why didn't you tell us that you knew him?"

"Kensi… I…" the redheaded woman looked at her friend, then at Deeks, a note of desperation could be heard in her still trembling voice "Marty… I didn't kill them… you have to believe me" tears started flowing along her cheeks "Please, believe me… this is a nightmare" she buried her face in her hands.

"Look at me… Vika…" the cop told her, touching her arm "Vika, look at me"

She did as he asked her to do and locked her green eyes on his blue ones "I was scared" she murmured, sounding childish "When I realized that the man in the pool was Bernie, I… I felt sick at first… I have never seen a dead man…" she paused wiping away the tears with another Kleenex "But then… I was scared that whoever killed him could kill me too"

"Vika, why do you think someone might hurt you? Did Bernard tell you anything… about his job, about someone…?" Kensi sounded less harsh this time, as a heavy weight had been removed from her shoulders. She could see the pure terror in her friend's eyes, the fear that was gripping tightly at her, clenching her throat "Everything could be useful at this point, even a little detail could be of great help"

"He… he didn't say anything, but in the last two weeks, he was nervous, very nervous. He didn't want to go to the club, he always wanted to stay at my house, more than once I saw him watching into the rear-view mirror while driving or checking the streets when we were walking… I… I think he was scared but he never told me anything about, it's just a guess…"

"Do you know of any connection with your boss, with Carlsson?" Deeks wondered curiously. His eyes moved from a woman to another and he was happy to see that both were more relaxed now, Kensi had finally realized that her friend was not a killer and Vika was happy that they had believed her.

"No, at least not that I am aware of. I… I know all the people who are negotiating with Brent, I know all of his customers… but I have never seen Bernie around Brent" the redheaded woman said, with a proud note in her voice.

"Officially" Kensi stated gravely "But what about business under the radar? Do you know what kind of job Bernard did?"

"He… he told me he was a Marine who worked on special projects, but… I don't know what these projects were about and I do my job within legality, you can check all the registers, all the files, there's nothing outside the law there. Nothing"

"We'll do for sure" Deeks took out another picture portraying Flemmings with the woman they suspected to be Poison Mary "Do you know this woman?"

Vika brought the photo close to her, picking it up with her unsteady hand, she took her time to study it "I… I've never seen her… but why? Why are you asking? Is… is she… he… oh my God! Is she… you…" she couldn't go on, too in shock.

"We're still trying to figure it out" Kensi told her friend, moving her hand toward Vika's "It'll be ok Vika, we will find her"

"Why kill him? He's was so nice… so kind…" the redheaded woman couldn't stop herself this time and started sobbing, tears rolled copiously down her face.

"This is another thing we're working on..." Deeks got up from his chair, he was already on his feet when he turned to face her "Bernard… did he know where your boss lived?"

Vika observed the cop intently before answering "I… yes. He… he was a bit obsessed with the big houses of Beverly Hills, with the idea of having a house like them, so a day I brought him to Brent's… but we didn't get inside. I… I thought it wasn't proper to get my… boyfr… my friend there…"

"Ok, thanks…" the cop replied simply "Kensi, do you need a hand to get out of here?"

"No, I'm good…" Kensi remarked in a firm tone, hating the fact to be so vulnerable in this moment. She turned her attention on her friend then "Give us a little bit of time, then we'll take you home. Ok?"

Vika nodded, her hands were nervously playing with another Kleenex "Thank you" she said sniffing. She noticed her friend struggling to get on her feet and Deeks moving towards her, offering moral support, from his face it was clear he wanted to do something more, but Kensi was too stubborn, too proud to accept his help "Are you two ok?" she asked worried "You said someone tried to… kill you…"

"We're fine" her friend remarked, taking a deep breath.

"Oh I can see that… you shouldn't put weight on that feet"

"See? Come on Wonder Woman, let me help you!" the blond detective offered a hand, but a cold gaze made him step back

"I'm capable of walking by myself!" Kensi protested vehemently.

"Oh yes, wait until I'll tell it to your doctor… he will kill you"

"Deeks, shut up or I'll kill you instead…" her serious expression turned into a cunning grin "And I will tell the doc that I did it in self-defense when you forced me to walk…"

The comment succeeded to get a smile from Vika "You two…"

"Hey, why are you two laughing at me now? I have just offered a hand… This is not fair. You are wounding me"

"Oh poor baby" Kensi told him, making a silly face "Twenty minutes and we'll be back, Vika"

"Ok, but don't worry… I understand that you have a job to do…" she smiled, watching Kensi and Deeks leaving the room "Love is soooo blind..." she told herself, her grin getting wider.

* * *

Sam and Callen waited for their two teammates to join them before talking. They had both seen Kensi's reaction during her friend's interrogation, the way her mood shifted from pissed to disappointed, from sympathetic to worried. But mostly they were starting to ask if she could stay objective and focused because of Vika's involvement in the case.

"What?" Kensi asked taking a seat on one of the chair "And don't tell me nothing because I know those faces..." she felt Deeks' presence beside her, so she looked at him, his eyes were locked on hers "Come on Deeks, spit it out..."

"Kensi, we're just..." her partner started but she didn't let him finish.

"You're trying to figure out whether I'm up to do my job or whether I'm blinded because of Vika" she paused, her expression hardened "Well, I can do my job, I don't need you lecturing me... and I believe her"

"You can't deny the fact that she lied to us, that she kept from us some very important details" Callen told her, with calm voice, but his eyes were cold as steel. This case was too important, he couldn't let personal involvements clouding their judgment.

"She was scared! You forget she's not a training agent, she saw a man she cared practically dying in front of her eyes, how do you expect her to react?" Kensi turned again to face her partner "Deeks, you saw her eyes, you saw how terrified she was..."

Deeks brought his hand to his forehead, playing again with his hair "Yeah, I saw that too" he was studying her, seeing the true concern on her eyes "You know her better than all of us..." he said, with a low and gentle voice "Come on guys, I think that... Kensi knows Vika too well, she would probably know if her friend lied, don't you think?"

"He's got a point G" Sam spoke, nodding gravely.

Kensi silently thanked her partner for the unconditioned trust he gave her, no matter what happened, no matter how bad the situation was, he was always on her side. She couldn't be happier about it, it truly felt good. She flashed him a timid smile, with gratitude, seeing him bowing his head, as he was embarrassed.

"Ok, she's honest... until the opposite won't be proved" the team leader stated, smirking playfully.

Kensi was aware that this was Callen's way to tell her that he confided in her opinion "Yeah, maybe we can ask Eric to run a search on her, just to be sure"

"Good idea" Deeks intervened, literally jumping on his feet when the big screen in the boatshed took life and Eric's and Nell's faces appeared on it.

"Already on it" the tech smiled observing everyone in the whole team shaking the head in disbelief.

"How long have you been there?" asked the cop without waiting for a reply "You know that spying on people is creepy? Especially on coworkers... you know, you almost caused me a heart attack!"

"I never took you for such a whiny boy, Mr. Deeks" Hetty's voice resounded in the boatshed even if no one could see her.

"Jeeze! How do you do that?" Deeks went on with his ramblings "I mean... really? Have you ever thought about showing yourself up before scaring the hell out of me?" he exchanged a glance with his teammates, then added whispering hoping not to be heard "And I still think that wearing a little bell might help"

"I heard that, Mr. Deeks... maybe I should put one around your neck... or on your leash..."

"Aahhhh that would hurt my pride" the blond detective hated being scolded like this, but hey, it was Hetty, there was nothing he could do to change her.

The rest of the team couldn't suppress a fat laugh at their friend's discomfort.

"You're funny... very funny, always laughing at me, but remember, sooner or later I will have my little vengeance, so be warned"

"Mr. Deeks, I suppose your warning wasn't extended to me too" the Operation Manager finally showed up behind the two techs and this was their time to jump "Now that we put everything in order, you and Mr. Hanna could take Mrs. Romano at home"

"Hetty, wait..." Kensi said, stopping what her boss was telling them "I want to go too, Vika is my friend, I'm sure she would be more comfortable with a familiar face around"

"Miss Blye, the doctor told you not to do any movement, to put any weight on your ankle"

Deeks moved back to Kensi's side, their bodies grazing each other's "Hetty, I... I can keep an eye on her and on her friend as well. I'll make sure not to let her push herself too much over her limits"

The Operation Manager reflected on the cop's offer, she was sure that he would do everything to keep his word, but on the other hand, she knew Kensi too well and she aware of how her female agent didn't like to be left apart because of her injury "Ok" she simply said.

"Thanks Hetty" Kensi told her gratefully.

"Oh no, don't thank me, thank your partner" Hetty locked her glance with the blond detective's "Mr. Deeks, I will consider you responsible just in case Miss Blye's recovery will be delayed even of a single hour... I'll keep my letter opener ready" she gave him a mischievous grin "Just to be sure..."

"Hetty... you're joking, right? No, because... well, it's Kensi, she thinks she's Wonder Woman and..." Deeks looked for his friends' eyes, hoping to find some moral support, but both Sam and Callen were giggling uncontrollably "Good, nice friend you are!" then he turned to his partner "Kensi... you will behave, won't you? Because well... nah, I can't believe Hetty will do that to me..."

"Oh no, you better start believing it, Shaggy Boy" Sam told him putting a comforting hand on his shoulder, a big smile planted on his face.

"Because she's more than serious..." echoed Callen, covering his mouth with his hand not to laugh on Deeks' face.

"I'm in trouble... no, I'm screwed, completely... totally... magnificently... immensely... absolutely screwed!" the cop cried out, realizing his precarious situation "Kensi, please... you don't want to get another partner, so please... behave. Will you do that for me?"

Without replying, she got up laboriously and pushing him with one of her crutches, she told him "Of course I'll behave Deeks... come on now"

"Why don't I feel reassured?" and with that, the two younger team members left the room.

"Mr. Hanna, Mr. Callen, I have Mr. Beale and Miss Jones investigating on Mrs. Romano, but I need you to read all the files we have about our dear Poisono Mary and about the Carlsson's brothers" Hetty instructed her men.

"Oh the joy" Callen murmured, if there was something he hated more than being forced to desk duty, well that was shifting through documents.

"I won't be so cheeky in your place... the letter opener treatment could be useful for you too" right after the Operations Manager had managed to finish talking, the screen turned blank, leaving the two partners alone in the boatshed "She's serious, isn't she?"

Sam chuckled at her friend's question "Hetty? Of course she is... and we better get back to work if you don't want her to prove her point..."

"That woman can be so creepy..." Callen whispered, talking mostly to himself.

"And she can hear you with her bat ears!" Hetty's voice reached them once again.

"Oh heck..."

Sam couldn't suppress another chuckle "Come on G, I better drag you to the Mission, before I'd see a letter opener flying to your direction..."

* * *

Deeks was driving Kensi's car to Vika's place, his eyes on the road, his fingers clenching and unclenching the steering wheel. He didn't know why, but he felt nervous, almost unease, and this was driving him crazy. He couldn't place what was bothering him, but for sure the dead silence and the tense atmosphere were not helping his mood. Kensi and Vika in fact hadn't said a single word after leaving the boatshed, but he could see that both women were pretty lost in their thought and knowing his partner, he knew she was still pissed. She didn't like to be lied to, especially by her friends.

"Ok… this silence is killing me!" he finally snapped "Why don't you set things straight with each other? You look like caged animals…"

"I'm sorry to unsettle you Marty" Vika excused herself with a mellow voice "But I… don't have anything to say… I thought she got my point"

Kensi turned to face her friend who was sitting in the back seat, her eyes filled with anger and disappointment "Nothing to say? Damn Vika… I still don't get why you didn't tell me! Hell, it's me… I'm your friend and I could have understood, but you had to do things your way, as always. Always too proud to ask for help"

"Too proud? Look who's talking, miss Stubborn!" the redheaded woman yelled, losing her temper "You are always the same Kensi. You want things done in YOUR way… so you can have everything under control. That's what you are, a control freak!"

"What did you say? Control Freak? Are you crazy? You don't know what you're talking about!" the agent looked at her partner in search of a moral support "Come on Deeks, tell her. Tell her that I'm not that way"

"Please leave me out of this" he smirked amused, flashing one of his smiles "But please, go ahead… I'm enjoying this. You are like two tigers fighting for the same prey. It's… priceless!"

Both women punched him simultaneously on his shoulder, with enough strength to make him crying out, in pain.

"Ouch! That hurts!" he whined "I should have put on a sign saying _Don't touch the driver_!"

"Stop being such a baby Deeks" Kensi scolded him.

"A big boy like you…" echoed Vika.

The two women looked at each other and then, finally, burst out laughing.

"I'm glad you're laughing instead of wanting to kill each other, but laughing at me? Really? You're mean…" Deeks protested, but deep down inside of him he was glad the tension had been finally broken.

"I'm sorry Kensi, I… should have trusted you" the redheaded woman told her friend, her voice sincere "But I was scared… what if… what if whoever killed Bernie would come after me too? I…"

"See? That's why you should have talked to me" Kensi paused, her hand touched her friend's "We are here… to help you"

"I'm scared Kens… especially now… after… Alicia is dead too, I… what if someone else saw me with him? I swear I liked him, we had good time, but… we never talked about his job or anything related, just bits here and there, I didn't even pay too much attention to what he told me because I didn't care at all. I cared only about him and being with him..." she was shaking like a leaf and tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Look, Deeks and I will keep you company today, then I'll talk to my boss and we'll see what we'll be able to do. Maybe we can give you an escort, someone who can look after you"

"Oh Kensi… thank you" Vika held her friend's hand tightly "And thanks to you too Marty"

"Oh actually, I didn't do anything" the cop cast an interrogative look to his partner, not knowing what she could tell Hetty so she could assign an escort to Vika.

"But you're here" the gorgeous woman planted a kiss on Deeks' cheek, making him blush "Thank you, Marty"

He scratched his head a bit embarrassed "Oh… well… you're welcome" he muttered.

Kensi rolled her eyes at the entire scene, she still hated the way Vika was able to attract everyone's attention in a blink of an eye… but who was she kidding? It wasn't because of Vika, it was because of Deeks. She didn't like him to be so close to her friend. Obviously he was attracted to her, she was so irresistible and Kensi felt a hint of jealousy. She shook her head in the attempt of clearing her mind, she couldn't be jealous of Deeks… he was her partner, her annoying, never-silent friend, he was Deeks for God's sake!

"Earth to Kensi, Earth to Kensi, can you hear me?"

His voice took Kensi away from her thoughts "I'm here Deeks, there's no need to shout"

"We're at Vika's house… once I'll stop the car, I'll go outside checking the perimeter, just to be sure" he said, his voice serious and professional now, every trace of joke, disappeared "You stay in the car until I'll tell you to get out, ok?"

His partner bit her lip, clearly frustrated by the fact of being practically useful with her sprained ankle and with the crutches that disturbed her movements "Ok" staring at her friend, she smiled "It'll be ok Vika, don't worry"

Deeks stopped the car right in front the entrance and as he told Kensi, he got out, taking out his gun. He circled the house, looking for any sign of unwanted presence, but he found nothing. Cautiously, he stepped through the door and checked the inside as well.

In the meantime, in the car. Kensi had picked up her gun as well, while Vika made herself almost invisible in the back seat.

"Clear" the blond detective finally shouted, walking out of the house "There's no one around" he helped his partner to get out of the car and then helped Vika to do the same and the three of them walked inside.

"Make yourself comfortable, I'll… make some coffee. Is it ok for you?" Vika suggested while disappearing into the kitchen.

Kensi walked slowly toward a couch and Deeks was immediately at her side, ready to help her "Deeks, what are you doing?"

"I'm here… to help you, just in case"

"First I'm capable of walking on my own, without any help, and second if you're waiting for me to fall into your arms, well that would be impossible, because I'd kill you before!" she threatened him, a grin curving her lips.

"Wow, hey… I've got the message. You don't need to be so violent with me… well, I have to say that my shoulder is still sore. You should go a bit easy on me, I'm still injured" theatrically, Deeks moved his arm around his waist, while the other hand scratched his cheek.

"Don't touch it! Leave those cuts be… I bet the doctor wouldn't be too happy to know the way you're taking care of yourself"

"Kensi, don't you dare talking with doctor Walcott" he was afraid of this option, he didn't want to be thrown in a hospital bed again. He simply hated it.

"I won't do that if you leave me do things on my own"

They were still discussing when the sound of gunshots echoed from the kitchen.

"Vika!" Kensi shouted alarmed, her concern grew wider when she didn't get a reply "Vika, answer me… are you ok?"

Instinctively both Kensi and Deeks had taken out their guns and found a place to get some cover.

"Vika!" the cop shouted, relieved when he heard a voice coming from the other room.

"I'm good" Vika said between a sob and another.

"Stay where you are, don't move. I'm on my way!" Deeks instructed her, crawling towards the kitchen.

Other gunshots exploded in the house, breaking the windows, furnishing and fittings.

"Vika, stay put, don't move if you're in a safe place" Kensi told her friend. She was crawling laboriously towards the kitchen, her heart beating at high speed.

Deeks signaled her to cover him while he moved to the kitchen. Bullets ricocheted in the air so she answered to the fire, trying to point her gun towards the source of the shots "Deeks, I can see nothing! Do you have a visual?"

"Negative…" he groaned finally reaching the other room. He spotted Vika crouched near the fridge "Vika, I'm coming… don't move!" he ordered. Slowly he reached the woman while bullets flew over their heads "Are you hurt?" he asked.

Vika simply shook her head, too shocked even to answer.

"Ok, then. When I tell you, you start crawling to Kensi's position. Don't worry I'll be right here, with you. Are you ready?"

Another tentative nod.

"Then… GO!" Deeks shouted.

Vika crawled quickly as the blond detective tried to cover her as much as he could. The gunshots didn't stop and the sounds of other objects breaking, echoed sinisterly in the air.

After what it looked a lifetime, they finally joined Kensi who were still shooting to cover their retreat.

"Kensi, don't stop shooting. I'll go through the door to see if I'll be able to catch the little bastard" the cop said panting for the effort, while reloading his gun.

"Ok, at my three" his partner told him, taking a deep breath "One… two… Three! Go!"

Kensi started shooting while Deeks ran towards the door. Once he was outside he scanned the area only to see in distance a car screeching away at high speed. He tried to read the plate but it was too far away. Picking up his phone, he dialed Ops "Eric, I need visual around Vika's house! There was a gunfire and I saw a black Mercedes leaving in a hurry. Sorry I've got no plate…"

"On it… are you all ok? Do you need assistance?" the tech asked.

"I think we're all good, but send an ambulance… just to be sure. And maybe Sam too…"

"Glad to hear you're all fine. I'll let you know about the car"

Deeks closed the communication, passing his hand through his hair, plastered with sweat, casting a glance at the damages caused to the house. "Man, is it too bad asking for a quiet day?" and shaking his head he went back inside.

* * *

So... are you still with me? Please let me know if where I'm going still makes sense... I will appreciate it warmly! Thanks in advance!


	11. Chapter 11

Poisonous Path - Chapter 11

The moment Sam and Callen walked into Vika's house, they were relieved to find their teammates and the redheaded woman basically unharmed. Kensi has a bandage around an arm, Vika was holding a bandaged hand, while Deeks had probably reopened some of the cuts on his face, since he was holding a gauze on his cheek. All in all they seemed fine, even if the redheaded woman was wrapped in a blanket and shaking like a leaf. Her face was paler than ever and she was wiping away the tears that still rolled down her cheeks. In spite of everything, she was still gorgeous as ever and even the paramedics and the cops present were not able to take their glances away from her.

"Hey" Callen greeted them while stepping into the living room. Everything seemed in order if it wasn't for some shattered vases and furnishing, but he needed just a quick glance at the kitchen to see how lucky his friends were to be here, alive "How are you guys?"

"We're good" Kensi said, passing an arm around Vika's trembling shoulders "It's going to be ok, Vika. You're safe now"

Sam beckoned to Deeks to follow him and Callen in the other room and only when they walked into what once was a clean and tidy kitchen, he asked "What happened?"

The cop removed the gauze from his face, revealing some still bleeding cuts, some old, but a couple of them were brand new "It happened that I have a terrible headache and that my ribs are aching…" noticing the cold glance of the two senior agents, he decided to explain everything happened without any personal addition "We have just arrived when Vika went to the kitchen to make some coffee, Kensi and I were in the living room when we heard gunshots. Someone was firing an automatic gun at us from the outside, but it was almost impossible to take a look without risking the head. We managed to get Vika in the living room so I rushed outside but I was only able to see a black Mercedes leaving… and man, it was in a hurry! Did Eric found anything?"

"No, there was no camera feed from the street and there are too many black Mercedes around. He is still looking but it's hard to find a match" Callen said, looking around "Whoever did this, didn't care at all about discretion! It looks like the passage of an hurricane"

"Oh trust me, it was bad as an hurricane" Deeks remarked, wincing a bit.

"You ok?" Sam wondered watching his friend making a pained face.

"Yeah, my ribs are just protesting a bit… but nothing is broken…" the cop padded his cheek, feeling a little rivulet of blood running down.

"Did she say anything?" the blue eyed leader indicated Vika, who was still sitting on the couch comforted by Kensi.

"On our way here, she said something about been scared, she was afraid that whoever killed Bernard and Alicia Flemmings could harm her as well, but she is categorically sure that she doesn't know anything about Flemmings' job"

"Something is not right here" Sam stated, as he was reflecting out loud "We're missing something. No one takes so many risks for nothing. She probably knows something… maybe she simply doesn't know what"

"Yeah, you might be right" his partner nodded, agreeing with him "I have already alerted Hetty, she offered a safe house where we can take Vika after we'll be finished here. Did the cops tell you anything useful?"

"Oh well… I see you need my liaison's skills" Deeks smiled cunningly "Actually they gave me this… they found these outside, they are from an AK-47…"

"Typical European weapon…" said the ex-Seal, gravely. His mind was processing the new information.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Callen wondered furrowing his brows "Because it could be… awkward…"

"Well, it would be creepy if you…" the cop indicated the team leader "…were thinking what Sam was thinking who was thinking what I was thinking…"

The two senior agents stared at the blond cop, almost at loss of words.

"Is he serious?" Callen asked his partner dubiously.

"I fear he is…"

"Hey guys, I'm still here, remember? And speaking of being here, what are you doing here Callen? I thought Hetty grounded you for some days" Deeks couldn't suppress a smirk.

"She was too worried about your well-being that she sent us both to check on you troublemakers!"

"Yeah, what G said" intervened Sam "You have the insane ability of getting into trouble…"

"Hey, my partner and I, notorious troublemaker, didn't end up knocked up by an explosion…" there was a little note of irritation in Deeks' voice that he hid perfectly with one of his smiles.

Callen seemed to notice though and changed the subject immediately "So back to the case, you better take Vika to the safe house while we'll finish here" he looked intently at the blond detective, studying his blue eyes, an habit he had developed in the past year, maybe as a sort of defensive mechanism "And while you'll be there, see if you could find something more about this whole story. I have a weird feeling about it"

"Good…" the cop said walking back to the two women in the living room but he was stopped by his phone ringing "Deeks… yeah… ok, sure… thanks, bye" his expression was serious when he turned around and faced his friends "Forensics confirmed that Alicia Flemmings was already dead when the explosion took place. There was a lethal dose of arsenic in her blood… Poison Mary stroke again, even if this time she changed her modus operandi"

"What do you mean?" the blue eyes of the team leader studied his younger teammate, intently and curiously.

"Well, there's no water involved here… I mean, she poisoned Alicia, but she blew up the house instead of threw her in the water" Deeks explained seriously. His expression darkened as he spoke.

"Maybe… maybe she needed to destroy something. Maybe there was something at Alicia's place, that could be dangerous for her or for whoever is paying her" Sam reflected, speaking aloud.

"Something is still not convincing me here… we're missing something important and I hate it" Callen stated, looking around, as he was looking for some answers.

"Do you know if Eric and Nell found anything about our mysterious woman, about Poison Mary?" the cop asked changing a bit the subject of the conversation.

"Nothing so far… she seems a ghost…" Sam answered, lowering his voice.

"Even a ghost can make a mistake though…. We just need to be there when she'll do that" Callen couldn't shake the feeling clenching his stomach, he knew something important was missing, but right now there was nothing he could do to find an answer to his own questions "Come on now… back to work"

It was in that moment that a commotion could be heard coming from the living room "I have to come inside, I order you to let me step inside immediately!"

"Is he who I think he is?" Sam asked ironically to his partner.

"Yep… I think so"

"Do… would you mind… filling me because I'm a bit… blank here?" Deeks realized that his own words could be the perfect catch for a joke so he corrected himself "I… I mean, that I… I don't know what you're talking about"

"He truly said it, didn't he?" Callen didn't miss the opportunity to tease his friend a bit.

"Yep, he said it himself… so maybe what we suspected was true, there's nothing under that shaggy hair of his…" echoed the ex-Seal, smiling.

"You're just envious… of my shaggy hair, Mr. Clean…" the moment the words left his mouth, the cop realized had made a mistake "Sam… I was just joking… I didn't mean to… come on Sam…"

A voice getting louder interrupted him "I want to get inside, Miss Romano is my friend and my personal assistant. I demand you to step away"

Both Callen and Sam said in unison "It's him"

"Who? Who is he?"

"Carlsson, Brent Carlsson, the Brent Carlsson…" précised Sam, skeptically.

Deeks watched a tall, blond man pushing the police officers aside and walking towards the couch where Kensi and Vika were still sitting "Uhm… interesting man…"

"Very interesting" Callen said, he didn't like the man at first sight and his behavior in this situation was simply confirming his first impression "Absolutely interesting".

* * *

"Jackson, I'll take this from here" Deeks told the officer who was keeping the two blond men he didn't know, out of Vika's door.

The older cop gave him a skeptical glance, then leave reluctantly "All yours, Deeks"

"Mr. Carlsson" Callen intervened.

"Agent… sorry I don't remember your name" the man said with a haughty tone "I want to come inside and see my assistant"

"It's Agent Callen and I'm afraid but this is a scene of an investigation so we can't allow anyone inside"

"Craig, please call Alfred and tell him to speak with the Governor…" Brent Carlsson told his brother who was silently standing beside him "I'm sure you will change your mind as soon as…"

"As soon as what? I don't care about your friends or your acquaintances. You are not allowed to get inside" Sam stepped forward, looking as much intimidating as he could.

"And you allowed him inside?" Carlsson indicated Deeks with disdain.

The cop, surprising everyone, simply flashed his badge, grinning satisfied not liking at all Brent's attitude.

"This is Detective Deeks of LAPD…" Callen smiled even more satisfied.

"LAPD must have fell into disgrace to enroll a hobo and making him a detective…" Carlsson insisted, his voice filled with even more disgust.

"I always thought that… Nordic European men were open minded, funny and charming… you are probably the exception that confirms the rule!" Deeks replied venomously, his eyes, cold as ice, locked on the other man's.

"Gentlemen, please, there's no need to get into any argument" Craig moved between his brother and the cop "I'm sorry Detective, my brother is a bit stressed, he didn't mean what he said"

"Oh I'm pretty sure he meant it… but I don't hold grudges…" the blond detective gave him a faint smile, nodding, before adding "So please, you better get out of here, before I arrest you"

"Craig, call Alfred. I'm sure my lawyer will solve this situation in a blink of an eye…" Brent gave Deeks a killing glance, looking at him triumphantly "Do you like your badge, detective?"

"Yes… and I like to keep it" the cop moved a step ahead, defiantly, he wasn't afraid of Carlsson and of his money "And as a lawyer… I know that yours can't do absolutely anything in this situation. So please…" with a theatrical gesture of his arm, he indicated the two brothers to go away.

Brent stood still for a moment, staring straight into Deeks' eyes "It's not over" and with that he turned on his heels to leave.

Craig sent an apologetic look at the three men, before following his brother "I'm really sorry"

"Brent, wait" Vika called her boss, walking out of her house.

The older Carlsson hearing her voice, turned back and waited for her with open arms and when she buried her face into his broad chest, he engulfed her in a big embrace "It's ok Katy…"

"No, it's not ok, Brent" she told him sobbing "It was terrible… I was so scared"

"You're safe now and you'll come with me now, at home"

"Mr. Carlsson, I have to disagree with it" Sam walked towards the two hugging figures "But Mrs. Romano is under our protection at the moment. Someone tried to kill her today and if it wasn't for the intervention of Agent Blye and Detective Deeks, she wouldn't be here"

"I don't give a damn about your protection! I have private guards who can take care of her much better than what you did! She's been shot at… here in her house because of your incompetency!" Brent's voice raised in anger.

"Oh yes and your private guards allowed a professional killer to murder a man in your house!" Callen remarked dryly, getting bored of the man's uppity attitude, not to mention he was angry because of the way Carlsson had treated Deeks.

"Please stop!" Vika shouted, breaking up in tears "Stop arguing… about me. I… I can't take this, not after what happened… it's too much"

"I'm sorry Katy, that's why I want you at my house, with me… to keep you safe" Brent's expression softened.

"No way, we have a protection order" Sam repeated firmly.

"Ehm ehm… excuse my intromission" Craig started almost ashamed of interrupting "What if… we'll take Katy to our house at the hills, you can… do your protection there and Brent would be more open minded… the house is isolated and there's only one way to get there, you can easily check it. And…"

Sam looked at his partner first then at Kensi and Deeks "What do you think?"

"I still think it's a bad idea" the cop stated, casting a cold glance to Brent who was still holding Vika in his arms.

"I'm with Deeks this time" Callen added, nodding at the cop.

"Vika… what do you think?" Kensi asked her friend instead, hobbling slowly towards her "It's your life we're talking about in the end"

"I'm scared Kensi… I… am so scared"

"I know, Vika… that's why we'd like to take you to a safe house, but if you prefer going to Mr. Carlsson's house" the female agent paused looking at her teammates' skeptical glances "…of course after we'll look at it and after we'll declare it suitable for the situation, we can allow you to do that…"

"Would it be… would it be possible? Because I'd prefer going to a place I know…" Vika said feebly.

"Callen?" Kensi's eyes moved to her friend, asking a silent question.

"First we have to ask Hetty and then we'll check the place…" he started but Carlsson interrupted him.

"Perfect, it's set then! Craig, please, make all the arrangements with these people" Brent guided Vika towards his limousine "Come on dear, we'll wait in my car, I'll give you something to drink"

"I'm truly sorry, I don't know how I can apologize for my brother…" Craig excused himself, once again.

"Oh it's not your fault he's an arrogant.. son of a…" Deeks stopped realizing that he was falling into Brent Carlsson's game, showing that he had been affected by his word "Sorry, no offence"

"None taken. I know my brother very well, detective… he's not always a nice person, but he only means well"

"Oh I can see that, he's got a nice way to show all the well he means!" the detective said, still looking a bit upset.

There was a moment of awkward silence that Kensi broke, still worried about her friend's safety "Mr. Carlsson, can you give us all the details about your brother's house?"

"Well, actually, that would be my house… or better, the one I use when I need some time off, away from work, from the city… from everything" Craig spoke with a sad expression on his face, a note of sorrow in his voice "That's why I think it's a good choice. And besides my brother and Katy, no one knows about it. Here you are by the way… this is the location" he wrote a note on a paper and gave it to Kensi who immediately took her phone and dialed Ops.

Craig cast a glance at his brother's limousine, there was a mix of jealousy, of disappointment almost anger in his light-blue eyes that didn't go unnoticed by the NCIS agents.

"Mr. Carlsson, do you mind me asking a couple of questions?" Callen wondered, hoping to get something more from the man.

The younger Carlsson tensed at the agent's request, but he tried to hide his anxiety with a light smile "Yes, of… course"

"Your brother is the president of the company, which is exactly your position?"

Craig's lips curved into a smirk "He owes the 80% of the company while the 20% is mine. He was the one who had the idea and who invested the biggest amount of money in it at the beginning… we divided it according to how much we put in the business. I think it was fair enough"

"But what exactly is your assignments? Could you be more specific?" Sam pressed the younger man, cornering him a bit.

"I… well… Brent is the president, the one who takes the decision, I'm the one who look for new customers and new possible expansion of our business… and of course, he's the face of the Carlsson Express" Craig's voice became lower as he spoke and his shoulders tenser and tenser. He felt the scrutinizing glances of the agents on him and switched into defensive mode "What are you… implying? I… I don't have any problem with my brother, I'm good with him being the boss, I… I'm not made to be on the magazines one day after another. He is born to do that"

"I thought he was born to be an asshole…" Deeks snorted.

"Deeks…" Callen put a hand on the cop's chest "It's not the right moment…"

"Yeah, got it…"

"Ok, Eric checked the house. He said it's clear and he could have some surveillance cameras placed in strategy points. Hetty gave us permission to move Vika there. She's sending a team to stand guard" Kensi joined the group of men, noticing that there was a bit of tension in the air. Her eyes fell immediately on his partner; furrowing her brows she asked, almost whispering "You good?"

"Perfectly good" Deeks told her, but he didn't sound very convincing.

"Ok, Kensi you and Deeks take Vika to Carlsson's house, we'll stick around for a little while, just to take a look" Callen instructed them.

"Good" both Kensi and Deeks said in unison.

"Man, they are soooo cute, speaking at the same time, saying the same words" Sam grinned looking at them, shaking his head, amused.

"We had good teachers" she remarked winking at him "Come on Deeks, let's get Vika"

"I'm so looking forward having another match with Mr. Witty Remarks!" the blond cop started walking towards the limousine, clearly upset.

Kensi was slowly following him, according on the pace her crutches allowed her to keep, when Callen called her back "Hey, keep a close eye on your partner… I think he's got a bit sore about what Carlsson told him"

She nodded gravely, she didn't need to be told twice about it, she was aware of the way Deeks reacted to the man's words "Of course"

"Mr. Carlsson, thank you for your time!" Sam said his goodbye to Craig who looked pretty relieved to be able to go away from this situation.

"The man's bit edgy, don't you think Sam?"

"Definitely, G. It looks like he has something to hide… and this scares him"

Callen nodded "I think we have to prod Eric a bit into looking quickly through the Carlsson's brothers business. Something's rotten here… I can smell it. And trust me, I don't like it"

"Me neither G, me neither" the ex-Seal walked back to the house ready to take another look. Another long day is way ahead of them.


	12. Chapter 12

Poisonous Path - Chapter 12

Craig's house on the hills was not as big as his brother's, it was more modest, not so majestic, but it has a nice garden surrounding it with high trees shadowing it, a pool in the back and a greenhouse. The inside was furnished with precious wooden furniture, on the walls paintings and framed pictures of many trips the man had done all around the world and so were several objects that could be found in the whole house. For sure the man had a great taste, more than his brother, who had enjoyed filling his house with expensive trinkets of questionable taste just to show his wealth, without caring of giving it a personal touch.

Just walking in the living room gave a warm feeling of home, of a place where someone had a great pleasure spending the time, a place filled with personal experience. There was a big library with thousands of books of the most disparate subjects, from science to history, from physics to comedy, from thriller books to horror, from biographies to comics.

"This place is amazing!" Kensi said walking through the door and looking around.

"Yeah, Craig is very good when it comes to choose stuff. He has such a great taste… and yes, this place is really amazing" Vika was still very shaken because of what happened at her house, because of the attempted murder, but being in a familiar place was having a good effect on her, making her release a bit of the tension.

"Hey, why don't you go take a nap… Deeks and I will be around until the team Hetty sent will be here"

"Kensi… I… I think I'll take a shower first. Is there a problem if I do that? Because I… I feel the smell of gunpowder all around me, I know it's not here but…" she couldn't hold the tears anymore and Vika burst out crying.

Kensi moved as fast as she was able with her crutches, throwing them to the ground when she hugged her friend "Hey, it's ok… you're safe now, let it go… cry if you need it. I'm here for you"

"Thanks Kens… I… I don't know what's happening to me, I've never been so… like this… so weak…" the redheaded woman sobbed in her friend's arms, trembling uncontrollably.

"Hey, look at me" Kensi broke the embrace, holding Vika's face in her hands "It's normal to react like this. You're human… there's nothing to be ashamed of. It was a scary experience, it would have been bad for everyone"

"Maybe you're right" Vika wiped away the tears, casting a glance at Deeks who was staring at the private library, lost in his thoughts, almost unaware of what was happening around him "I think he needs you too, Kensi. Double shift for you"

The NCIS agent's mismatched eyes stared at the cop, intently studying him. Kensi knew that Deeks was conscious of what was happening between her and Vika, he was just giving them a bit of friendly-space, but at the same time there was a thin line furrowing his brows that told her that something was bothering him though… maybe it was time to find out what it was "I think he simply needs someone to talk to… a friendly shoulder to lean on"

"He needs you" Vika told her, cut her short "Go, talk to him… I'll be in the shower…" she kissed her friend on the cheek and left, heading upstairs.

Kensi retrieved her crutches and approached her partner who, in the meantime, had taken a seat on the couch, right in front of the wall book-shelf. He had something in his hands, an envelope probably, with which he was playing nervously "Vika's upstairs, taking a shower"

"You know you shouldn't put any weight on that ankle, I saw you dropping the crutches on the floor…" Deeks spoke without taking his glance away from the books, his voice low and distant though.

His partner hobbled slowly towards him and sat right beside him "Would you like to talk about what's eating you? You're sitting here, silent and almost absent… so don't try to deny that something is wrong"

The cop turned to face her, locking his blue eyes on hers, but he didn't say a word, he only gave a faint smile, full of sorrow.

She took his hand in hers, making him stop fidgeting with the envelope "Hey, it's me… talk to me"

"Kensi, I…" he started tentatively, holding her hand tightly, as he wanted to find some strength.

Kensi's throat clenched sensing it, feeling him struggling to talk. She squeezed his hand back, silently telling him that she was there, for him.

"I'm scared Kensi…"

His admission frightened her, making her heartbeat beating faster "Scared? Why? What happened?"

"I… I haven't realized until now…" he paused looking at the books in front of him, smiling bitterly "Do you know that... that book, the blue one, was one of mine at law school?"

Kensi was confused now, what was wrong with her partner? What was he talking about? Why was he bringing this subject up? "Deeks, you're losing me here. Please tell me what's wrong with you… I'm worried…"

He looked at her, flashing a smile, that didn't reach his eyes though. She thought it was one of the saddest thing she had even seen.

Deeks got up abruptly, pacing restlessly, his hand, the one that was not holding the envelope, moved systematically through his hair, nervously "I… I don't know if I can do that Kensi. I'm scared… I don't think I'm good enough, maybe I shouldn't have come back, maybe I should have just quit…"

"Deeks, what the hell are you talking about? Why are you doubting yourself? Is it because of what Carlsson said to you? Callen and Sam told me about it… but he's an asshole, you shouldn't listen to…"

"It's not that Kensi, well not only because of that… it's just that…" the hand holding the envelop tightened its grip, crumpling it "I… I don't know if I have the strength to go through this, not again… I haven't realized until now what it'll mean, the trail… they'll say things about me, they'll say I am not stable, they'll say everything… every little thing to save their asses… their lawyers will do that, I would do the same if I was in their shoes…"

It was then that Kensi realized it. The mind worked in weird ways, you could be perfectly ok one minute and then just a little detail could make you snap. Deeks had been probably affected by what Carlsson told him, by the way he had treated him, but it was seeing the law school book that had installed in Deeks' mind the worm of doubt, that had triggered all of his uncertainties, his fears. In his whole life Deeks had to fight to be accepted, to show everyone that he was worth it, to demonstrate how good he was at what he did, but right in this moment he was doubting himself, thinking that he was not enough, that everything he did was not enough. So she got up, fighting the pain in her ankle and approached him, cupping his face in her hands "Look at me, Deeks"

His blue eyes stared at her, veiled by the fear.

"You're good, very good, don't forget it. Never. Don't you even try to doubt yourself… the lawyers will bring bad stuff up, I know, but you'll do the same. You'll bring to the surface everything Tan and his men did… and if only there will be someone who will dare saying that you're not good enough, that you're not stable enough, well… that person will have to deal with me, with Callen, with Sam… even with Hetty. You paid a high price to stop them from doing what they were doing, from hurting children, taking them away from their families… you are in the right side, not them or who is going to defend them. Tan was a monster… he was the monster. Just remember this…" she could see his body trembling as he was listening to her words, a river of emotions flooding him, almost overwhelming him.

Deeks sank back in the couch, his face hidden in his hands "I… thanks… but… you know what it did to me, I don't want to go there Kensi, to that blackness, to that consuming void that was eating me from the inside… I don't want to…" he lifted his head, revealing his tearing blue eyes "What if I'll lose it again… I… what if I… I might even hurt you…"

Again, she took his face in her hands, looking at him "You won't, because you're stronger now… because you learnt from that experience. Don't let the stupid words of a multimillionaire asshole make you doubting yourself" she pointed her finger to his chest, gently "You know it in here, in your heart…"

The cop took Kensi's hand and delicately kissed the back of it "Thank you… what will I ever do without you keeping me in line?"

She blushed as her heart melted, an electrical discharge flowed through her veins when his lips had touched her skin "You would do the same for me… there's no need to thank me. We're partners, aren't we?"

He gave her one of those looks, the ones Kensi could not resist because they seemed to go deep into her soul, opening a channel to all the feelings she was jealously keeping bottled inside of her heart.

"Kensi, why don't you…" Vika stepped into the room seeing them holding hands, staring into each other's eyes "Oh… sorry, I… I didn't mean to interrupt you…"

"No, it's ok" Kensi replied embarrassed, retreating her hand while Deeks jumped on his feet "What… what were you telling me, Vika?"

Her friend cast her an apologetic glance, before answering "I… I was suggesting you if you wanted to take a shower. I thought that you might like to brush that dust away from yourself…"

"I think it's a great idea, your hair has that weird shade of grey that makes you look at least ten years older" Deeks said, still locking his eyes on hers, smiling cunningly.

Kensi gave him a scolding look "I don't hit you just because you're ribs are still sore!"

"Oh very merciful, Fern…!" he grinned, cunningly.

"You know Kens, I think you definitely have to get that shower, in the meantime Marty will tell me everything about this Fern thing you throw here and there once in a while" Vika gently pushed her friend to walk upstairs "There are some clean clothes in the bedroom next to the bathroom, that my room… I… Craig has a room for me as Brent got one at his house…"

"Deeks don't you dare inventing anything about that story, because I won't be so merciful this time!"

The cop flashed another smile of his, even cheekier than usual "Oh don't worry, you know I always behave…"

"Yes, that's exactly why I'm worried… your idea of behaving and mine of you being an idiot are more or less the same!"

Vika intervened, preventing them to go on endlessly with their bantering "Don't worry Kensi, Marty and I will be simply good…"

"Vika, if this was supposed to make me feel better, well… you failed!" this time Kensi couldn't stop herself from laughing "Ok, I'll be away just ten-fifteen minutes, be good"

Once she was out of the room, Vika took Deeks by his arm, guiding him to the couch "So Marty… tell me about Fern…"

* * *

"Damn, it's frustrating!" Sam said slamming his fist on his desk.

"What's so frustrating, well… beside you slamming your big hands on the desk?! You almost caused an earthquake!" Callen stared amused at his partner, he enjoyed seen him venting his frustration so dramatically "Maybe you should meditate a little bit more to learn to control your feelings…"

"I simply hate this situation, I hate the fact that there's a killer outside, I hate that there's someone who paid her… I hate the fact that we've been almost blown up… gah, I hate that we don't have a single clue!" the ex-Seal was mad, that was evident and he was getting restless.

"Sam, you're not helping yourself. We have to be focused and don't let our emotions cloud our minds"

"I prefer my anger clouding my mind than been blown out by a crazy woman in black!"

Instinctively, Called moved his hand to his still patched temple "Oh please don't tell me"

"How's your head?" Sam wondered, he didn't need his friend to tell him openly to notice he was in pain.

"Bearable"

The ex-Seal gave his partner a scowl not convinced at all.

"Ok, ok… It's a little bit worse than bearable, but I couldn't stay here when someone was having fun shooting at half of my team! Kensi and Deeks are my responsibility. If someone threatens them, someone threatens me… personally!" Callen's face was determined, his blue eyes were sparkling, almost unable to suppress a hint of anger.

"That's why I'm frustrated… they have already tried twice to kill us, I don't want to give them another chance" Sam told him gravely, his fists clenched.

"Ok, let's try to analyze the facts, what do we have here?" the team leader turned the big screen next to their desk on.

"We have a dead marine who is suspected to sell important information, with his sister involvement, to a Serb whose principal activity is to produce weapon in Europe" the ex-Seal stated indicating the picture of the Flemmings' siblings and of Vucinic.

"The Marine's body has been found in Brent Carlsson's house in Beverly Hills, Carlsson who didn't have any connection with the victims" Callen continued furrowing his brows.

"Well, he doesn't have a personal connection, but his personal assistant was involved in a relationship with Flemmings" the ex-Seal was reflecting while talking, so his voice sounded lower than usual.

"And someone attempted to the assistant's life… maybe she saw something or she knows something of vital relevance"

"Or whoever paid our killer thinks so… we're not sure" Sam pointed out following his partner direction.

"Which takes us back to our killer…" Callen stated, massaging his stiff neck.

"Of which we know absolutely nothing other than she's lethal, merciless and with a passion for poisons…" concluded his partner.

"There must be something… assuming for a moment that Vucinic ordered to kill Flemmings. Why did he do that? Flemmings was his main source of information, why kill him? No, something is not right here…"

"I agree with you G, but maybe Flemmings was asking for more money or wanted to step back, so Vucinic wanted him dead, he didn't want to leave any witnesses of his dirty business alive…"

"True… this might explain why they killed Alicia too, because she knew everything… but now I don't understand Vika's involvement in all of this…" Callen murmured, very perplexed.

The two agents were reflecting on the details of the case when Nell joined them, a serious expression on her face "Maybe I found something…" she said, pressing a couple of button on her pad. A list of IP addresses appeared on screen "Eric and I were running through Vucinic's Industries email and we found that he had a thick exchange with someone we might know"

"Who?" both agents asked in unison.

"Craig Carlsson" Eric exclaimed climbing down the stairs and joining them "It seems that Vucinic took contact with Craig six months ago to make a contract, in their emails he talked about several deliveries from Europe to the US…"

"And he asked for discretion, rapidity and …a way to avoid a check of the delivered boxes " Nell finished for him.

"Well, well, well… this sound like an unexpected turn of events" Callen flashed a grin.

"Maybe we could ask some question to our Mr. Carlsson" Sam echoed, smiling openly too.

"Did Vucinic email to Carlsson to his personal account or to the company's one?" wondered Callen trying to understand whether Brent Carlsson might be also involved or not.

"The first couple of emails have been sent to Carlsson Express account, then to Craig's personal one" Eric answered promptly, as he was waiting for that question "We're checking phone records now"

"Do we know how many deliveries have they already been done?" it was Sam's turn to ask a question.

Nell and Eric exchanged a serious look, until she spoke, gravely "For what we know… seven so far…"

"And any of them have never been gone through customs or paid customs duties" finished the tech.

"Ok, I think it's really time to ask some questions to Craig Carlsson…" Callen cast a glance at his partner who stood up immediately "You two go through Vucinic's and Carlsson's bank accounts, I need to know if there was some suspect movements, some huge payments… everything that could actually connect them"

"Consider it done" Nell said before Eric corrected her.

"It will take time, but we'll work on it"

Callen chuckled at them "Just do it" then turned towards his partner "Ready to go pick up Carlsson?"

"Yeah, even if you shouldn't go outside this place. Hetty is going to kill me for allowing you to do that!" Sam knew his partner was supposed to be grounded at the office, he knew that Callen had not recovered yet from the explosion of the other day, but on the other hand, he was aware that it was hard to stop him when he had something in mind.

"But I'm fine!"

"I can see very well how you're fine Mr. Callen!" Hetty's face appeared on the screen startling everyone.

"Told you G" Sam winked at his friend.

"Hetty, look I…"

"I don't want to hear any excuse, Mr. Callen" the Operation Manager said firmly, then sighing heavily she continued "Mr. Hanna, as I said Mr. Deeks about Miss Blye, Mr. Callen is your responsibility; prolong his recovery time of only one hour and you'll respond to me"

It was Callen's moment to wink now "Told you, Sam. Thanks Hetty"

Sam looked at the screen where Hetty's face had disappeared, he cast a glance around the bullpen, raising his voice "I think this is not fair… and you know it"

"Fair enough for me Mr. Hanna" the Operations manager's voice echoed in the air "Get out of here and go get Carlsson"

* * *

Ok, short chapter, but I'll update soon... if you're still interetsed in reading this ;)

Thanks for your support.


	13. Chapter 13

Once again, I would like to thank you all for reading and reviewing this... and as always please forgive all the mistakes (they are all mine!), I hope I'm not offending anyone.

Enjoy it!

* * *

Poisonous Path - Chapter 13

Kensi didn't realize how tired she was until she was out of the shower; everything happened in the last few days was finally hitting her, physically and mentally. Her body was aching almost everywhere and not only her ankle was screaming in pain, maybe it was time to get a painkiller the doctor had prescribed her.

In addition, the conversation she had with Deeks hadn't helped her mood. She could understand his doubts, his fears, but she wasn't prepared to see him so desperate, so scared, without the usual self-confidence ha carried with him naturally. She only hoped that her words had helped him a bit, because in spite of all the bantering, all the bickering, she cared about him… a lot, more than she expected herself to do at the beginning. Because Deeks had a way to get to her, to read her, to go deep into her soul that no one else had ever had with her. No one… this was a bit scary, simply because she was talking about her partner, her annoying and pushy partner.

Taking a deep breath trying to clear her mind and not to face her thoughts, she grabbed the crutches and slowly she found her way downstairs. She heard the sound of the TV and followed it only to find a small room, smaller than the others she had seen until now, in which there was a big plasma screen which was showing a movie she had never seen. In front of it there was a big couch on which were lying a sound-asleep-Vika who was laid all over a clearly-in-pain, Deeks.

"Hey, need a help?" Kensi asked smiling at the cute scene

"Just a bit" grimaced her partner, inhaling deeply "She fell asleep while we were talking… I bet she was exhausted. I decided to let her rest without thinking that she was doing it right on my sore ribs, now… I can barely breathe"

"You should have called me"

"You were in the shower… what could you have heard?" Deeks tried to smile but the sudden intake of air made Kensi realize that he wasn't comfortable at all "I didn't want to wake her up, but man…" he winced when a flash of pain flowed through his chest.

"Let me help you" Kensi walked closer to the couch and slowly, she moved Vika aside a little so Deeks could get his hands lose and finished what his partner started.

Few minutes later and few painful breaths later, Vika was now sleeping leaning her head against the edge of the couch, almost curled into a ball, as she wanted to protect herself from the rest of the world.

"Thanks… you saved my life" he panted.

"You know I have always your back" a cunning grin curved her lips as she spoke, but her eyes was studying him mostly looking for a sign of discomfort, basically to check on him, seeing if he was truly fine "You sure you're ok?"

"Yeah… just give me… a couple of minute for my hands to get their circulation back and for my ribs to stop protesting. I think they didn't like the treatment very much" he paused, massaging his chest "It's the first time… never happened to me"

Kensi furrowed her brows puzzled "What's the first time? What never happened to you?" she asked curiously.

A cheeky smirk flashed on Deeks' face, brightening his whole expression "It's the first time I wanted to get rid of a woman lying on me like this…"

"Oh please… you can't think of anything else?" she prodded him, feeling him reacting at her touch.

"And what should I have to think about? Really Kens… I had this gorgeous woman practically entangled on my lap and I couldn't stop thinking, please someone took her away from me…" the cop shook his head in disbelief "I think I'm sick… I must be sick"

"Oh shut up Deeks…" Kensi rolled her eyes hearing his words, he will never change, he will be always a cheeky and annoying 5 years old child "Is the team Hetty sent already here?"

"No… and speaking of which, Hetty called telling me that Franklin and Thomas who were supposed to show up here, are blocked in a delicate operation, so she asked if we could stay for the night…" Deeks explained, his breath finally was getting back to normal and the soreness was leaving his body "Is it a problem for you?"

"No… it's ok. I didn't have any plan for this night" her eyes locked on his "So… we need to make an arrangement for the night… to sleep"

"Yeah, you can spend the night with her in her bedroom and I'll sleep on the couch" suggested the cop, passing a hand over his tired face.

"But there are plenty of room upstairs, you can get some sleep in one of them"

"Yeah, I know…. Don't misunderstand me, I'd like a soft bed, but someone has to keep an eye down here and since you can't exactly jump up and down, I bet it's on me…" he smiled, genuinely, a sweet, open smile, Kensi couldn't resist.

"Yeah, it sounds fair enough. In this way we can have a wider vision of the place… we can defend her and us better" unconsciously she yawned.

"You're tired… moving with those things must be taxing" he told her indicating her crutches, knowing that she will never admit it openly, but he could read it in her eyes that she was tired too "Ok, give me a minute and then I'll carry her upstairs… do you need a help with a PJ's?" his grin became even bigger now.

"Nice try Deeks, but I'm perfectly capable of taking care of my business…"

"Uhm taking care of your business, while this sounds so dirty…" this time his comment gained him a light punch on his shoulder "Ouch! Ok, ok… you've got the point"

"Good… I'm going upstairs, preparing the bed… take your time. I'll be waiting in the room" Kensi said realizing immediately that her words could give a start to another series of witty remarks from her partner, so she stopped him from the beginning "Don't you try to say a word, not a single word" she pointed a finger straight at his face, then slowly she walked away from the couch.

"So you don't want me to tell you that what you said sounded vaguely like an invitation?"

"Deeks, you…" she yelled, but she stopped herself from going on when Deeks signaled to look at Vika, silently telling her that her scream might wake up her friend "Consider yourself lucky Marty Deeks!"

The cop chuckled, he couldn't help it, but he loved teasing his partner, using every chance he got to drive her mad, knowing that she enjoyed his game too. He raised his hands in the air, surrendering to her "Ok, I've got the message…"

Shaking her head in disbelief Kensi walked upstairs. She arrived in what was Vika's guestroom here at Craig Carlsson's house and waited for Deeks to carry her friend there. She was aware that probably her partner was taking his time, she could easily bet the position he had been stuck with Vika lying on his chest should not be very comfortable and in spite of all his reassurances, his busted ribs was bothering him. But of course, he didn't want to show her his weakness… she wouldn't want to do that as well, so she understood.

She was still sitting on the bed when her phone rang "Callen, hey" she greeted her friend "Yes, good… of course… no, no problem so far, if you don't want to consider Deeks a problem…. Ok.. yes… let us know how it will go… ok… bye"

"Who was on the phone?" Deeks asked stepping into the room carrying a still asleep Vika in his arms. He laid her on the bed, without her even stirring "It seems she hasn't sleep in ages… look at her"

Kensi cast a glance at her old friend, brushing her long hair with her fingers "She has always been a tight sleeper, she was able to sleep during the most noisy party of our last year at college… people were doing all sort of things, the music was extra loud, but she went on sleeping till the following morning"

"And what kind of things you were doing in the meantime?" he wondered, feeling immediately her cold eyes on him "Hey… you should know me by now after all these years. You can't pretend I can't catch a hint when you throw it to me on a silver plate…"

Once again she rolled her eyes, shaking her head, Deeks will never change "It was Callen on the phone" she changed the subject to take the conversation to a more professional level "He said they found a connection between Vucinic and Craig Carlsson" she was glad to see her partner following her lead and turning in full Detective mode.

"A connection? What kind of connection?"

"It seems that Vucinic asked Carlsson to send quickly and safely some goods from Europe to the US… and to keep it under the radars…" Kensi explained "Sam and Callen are going to get Craig and to take him to the boatshed while we're speaking. He'll keep us posted"

"Good… at least something is moving" Deeks took a deep breath, stretching his arms "I think we better get some rest… its' been a long day"

"Yeah, you're probably… right" she looked at him straight in the eyes, almost losing herself in the ocean blue of his orbits "Are you sure you're ok with the whole sleeping-on-the-couch thing?"

"Is it an invitation?"

"Man, why can't you take anything seriously? Sometimes I think I'm working with a five years old kid!" Kensi couldn't stop thinking how exasperating her partner was sometimes, well most of the times.

"Ok, I'm serious now" his voice became sweeter and gentler, without any hint of irony "I think it's better if I sleep downstairs… we both know it"

She was stunned by the affirmation, what he really wanted to say with that? No, she was overthinking again "Yes… I… think you're right"

"Ok then… good night" Deeks knew he had to leave, because the situation was getting a bit awkward, but it seems that his legs didn't want to cooperate.

Kensi felt her cheeks blushing, but she couldn't understand the reason and especially why it was happening now "Good night Deeks… and thanks, for everything…"

He bowed his head, smiling then when he lifted his eyes, locking them into hers, he simply said "You're welcome. Night Kens" and with that he turned on his heels and left.

Kensi was confused, not understanding what was going through her mind in this moment "Ok, what's happening here?" she asked herself, but she couldn't find a satisfying answer, so she put Vika under the sheets and then left too, directed to the communicating room where she was going to spend the night. Her mind full of too many thoughts…

* * *

Sam and Callen had their hard time finding Craig Carlsson. It almost seemed that the man had someone who told him when to leave a place to avoid the two NCIS agents, for sure he was very lucky. After a busy night in which they visited at least three clubs, four bars and a café, they finally caught Craig Carlsson in the most obvious place, right outside his attic. Without giving him too many explanations, they took him to the boatshed and left him alone for one hour, only to make him more nervous and more eager to cooperate with them.

"So… do you think it's time to get inside and put some pressure on him?" Sam asked watching Carlsson from the screen. The man was more than nervous, he was literally shaking.

"Yeah, I think it's time… let's try to be convincing"

"Convincing?" there was a skeptical note in the ex-Seal's voice.

"Yeah, bad cop-good cop kind of convincing" smiled Callen amused by his own joke.

"Oh come on G, for a moment I thought you were serious!" Sam didn't wait for a reply from his partner and started walking towards the interrogation room "So… are you coming or what?"

A minute later the two agents stepped through the door and slowly, without saying a single word, Callen sat in front of Carlsson while Sam stood on his feet, his eyes locked on the man's blue ones.

"I… I don't understand… why am I here?" Craig's hands were moving nervously and beads of sweat adorned his forehead.

"You're here because you're in a heap of trouble Craig" Callen told him calmly, without batting an eyelid.

The man looked at the two agents, moving his eyes from one to another, swallowing hard "Trouble? But I…"

He couldn't finish what he wanted to say because Sam slammed a piece of paper on the table, violently, making Craig jump "You didn't do anything, that's what you wanted to say, isn't it?" the ex-Seal asked ironically.

With trembling hands, Carlsson picked up the paper and the moment he saw what was in there, he bowed his head, ashamed.

"So? Would you like to tell us something, Craig?" Callen tilted his head so he could stare at the man straight in the eyes.

"I… I didn't know… I was just…" Craig was finding hard even to talk, too scared. He looked like he was ready to wet his pants.

"You didn't know what Vucinic wanted to do? Oh come on Craig… what are you taking us for? We're not fools!" Sam's voice was grave, showing a bit of disgust "Why don't you tell us everything from the beginning?"

"Am I going to jail?" Carlsson's voice was so feeble, that it seemed to come from a little child.

"Let's say that if you don't cooperate no one will be able to save you from some time in a dark cell" Callen knew he was exaggerating a bit but it was working so he went on "And you know, there are men who would do everything for some good looking guy like you…"

"Oh God…" Craig's eyes watered hearing that "Ok, I… I'll tell you everything" he took a deep breath then started talking "Some months ago I received an email at work, from a man named Miroslav Vucinic, he told me he wanted to do business with us, that he could give us a great opportunity in terms of money and in terms of expanding our business. I… I didn't know what kind of business he wanted to offer us, so I did some research on his company…"

"And you didn't see anything wrong after that?" Sam pushed the man a bit more.

Carlsson closed his eyes, guiltily "I… sometimes people ask us to do something not completely legal, but I swear I didn't know what kind of goods he wanted to get to the US… if I knew he trafficked in weapons… I… man, I'm so sorry. I only wanted to… I wanted my brother to be…" he stopped abruptly, unable to hold the tears.

"Did your brother know about all of this?" Callen furrowed his brows, interested in what the man was going to answer.

Craig shook his head "No, he didn't know anything about it… I wanted him to see me in a different light if I showed up with this big amount of money" his voice became lower and even his expression hardened "He has always been the successful brother, the one our parents put on a pedestal, the one who could turn into gold everything he touched… I was just the idiot of the family. I wanted to show him how good I was… that I deserve more respect than he has always given me, more than my parents has seen in me…"

Callen and Sam exchanged a knowing look, they could see that the man was not lying, his hatred for his big brother was sincere as were his words about Vucinic "Did you tell us the truth when you said that you didn't know Bernard Flemmings?"

Craig hesitated, pure terror filled his pale blue eyes "No, I swear I didn't know him… and I don't know anything about his death… you have to believe me" seeing the two agents staring at him suspiciously, he continued "Vucinic told me once that he had some connections in our country, that someone was selling him vital information and for this reason, his traffic could be more frequent and profitable… but I didn't know it was Flemmings… I swear to God, I didn't know about him…"

"Are you telling us the truth? Because you know what will happen if you lied to us…" Callen told him, standing up.

"It's the truth! I… I can show you my bank accounts, so you could check… I had contacts only with Vucinic… he paid me when the goods were safe in the US, but… I…"

The two agents could see that there was more, that Carlsson was still too nervous.

"What are you afraid of, Craig?" Sam wondered narrowing his eyes.

"Vucinic… he… he said that if I told about our little business to anyone he would have killed me, or… the people close to me… if he had to find out that I talked to you, I… I'm dead… I… when we met I… I saw him killing one of his men because he didn't show up in time for a meeting… I…"

"You met him?" the two agents were a bit surprised by the new information, they didn't expect it "When? Where did you two meet?"

"I… I think it was a month ago in an old warehouse downtown LA, he said he was here to meet someone, because he had an unfinished business with someone. I'm still shivering thinking about the way he said that, it was like… he was like a shark ready to kill his prey, it was… and that man… Oh my God… oh God… I can't breathe…" Carlsson was hyperventilating, clearly in panic.

"Calm down…" Callen moved next to him, but the man didn't have any intention to relax "Sam, some water please…"

"He will kill me… you haven't seen him, he's…" Craig muttered, panting heavily "He's evil…"

Sam returned with a glass of water that he offered to Carlsson who took it with trembling hands "Better now?"

The man nodded tentatively, then inhaling deeply, he added "I… I think Vucinic had to meet with a woman… because he asked me where to find some flowers, some… black roses he told me, but… I… I don't know anything about roses…"

It seemed that Craig was calming down "Ok, we'll check your story, then we'll see…"

"You have to protect me, I… I don't want to die" the man hold his hands together, hardly "…and please don't tell my brother about this…"

Callen and Sam walked out of the room without answering to Craig's request.

"Eric" the blue eyed leader called his tech that, he was sure, was ready to appear on the big screen.

"Callen, hey…"

"I need you to check some bank accounts we'll send to you" Callen told him, looking at his partner "…and I need you to check on Vucinic's movements. It seems that our man was in the US a month ago"

"Ok, I'll let you know as soon as I have something… and hey, I checked Flemmings' hard drive Kensi and Deeks took back the other day, but there's nothing interesting. If he had contact with Vucinic, he didn't use his computer to do that…"

"Too bad, thanks Eric" and with that Callen closed the communication "What do you think Sam?"

"The man is scared to death, G… and he's not lying…" his partner told him, casting a look at the inside of the interrogation room, where Carlsson was sitting with his face buried in his hands "I don't think he is hiding something, not consciously at least"

"Damn it, I know. I have the same sensation… do you think Vucinic was here to meet our dear Poison Mary? To hire her to kill Flemmings and his sister?"

"Everything seems to confirm this, G… this story is getting too complicated for my taste!" Sam couldn't hide his frustration.

"Come on big guy… I'll buy you something to eat, maybe we'll clear our minds once our stomachs will be full…" Callen offered, moving to the exit, but seeing his partner hesitating, he stopped.

"It's 5am G, I need breakfast, an healthy breakfast, so don't try to take me to one of those places that serve those horrible Mexican food you like so much…"

"Sam, you're wounding me… I have good taste when it's a matter of food"

"I pretend I didn't hear that" Sam chuckled, then he moved to join his friend "I better choose the place this time" and preventing any complaints from his partner, he added "And I don't want to hear your voice until we'll be there… and I'm driving, you're not in shape to do that!"

Callen couldn't hide a cunning grin "Still scared of Hetty's threat?"

"I'm not scared" cut him shortly the ex-Seal, but his eyes scanned the room, as he was expecting Hetty to show up any time.

"I can see that" and with that his partner opened the door and waited for Sam to go out "After you, my… chauffeur…"

* * *

I confess I would be terrified myself being in an interrogation room alone with Callen and Sam, those guys can be scary :) Don't you think?


	14. Chapter 14

Here it is, another chapter. I'm sorry if things are getting a bist slower in the story, but I have always thought that the relationship among characters is as much impostant as it the plot itself is. So please forgive me, if it can be boring... action will come soon, very soon. I promise you!

Again thanks to whoever is still reading this story in spite of everything... and as always, please forgive my bad English!

* * *

Poisonous Path - Chapter 14

The feeble light of dawn filtered through the window, caressing her face like a delicate hand. Kensi found herself moaning at the nice feeling of waking up in a soft, oversized bed, finally rested after a good night of sleep. Even her ankle seemed not to bother her too much, she tested it doing some movements in the bed, happy not too feel as much pain as the previous day. Lazily she got up, knowing that she was not on vacation, so she refreshed herself in the king-size bathroom and then, went to check on Vika.

Her friend was still sound asleep, looking peacefully lost in the world of dreams. Smiling, Kensi decided to give her some little time more and so he moved downstairs. She was not half way through the stairs when her nostrils were assaulted by a captivating smell of pancakes, of chocolate and of something else very sugary …and of course by the aroma of fresh coffee.

"Good morning, princess" Deeks greeted her when she stepped through the kitchen's door "I see you had a nice night of sleep"

"Deeks… I… morning" she said, startled. She had never expected to see her partner up so soon "Wow, I… I never…"

The blond detective smiled broadly, happy to let his partner speechless "Hey, you have already seen me cooking… what's so strange about it?"

The question hit her harder than she imagined, because she really didn't know why she felt that way, Deeks was right, he had already made her breakfast when they were working undercover as husband and wife, but there was something different in him this morning, she didn't know exactly what. Maybe it was the particular light, the way he moved graciously in the kitchen… "Oh stop it, Kensi" she thought "It's just Deeks…"

He looked at her, narrowing his eyes, suspiciously "Did you say something?"

"I… I said that I would like some coffee" she told him, unable to move.

"Oh come on, I'll take it to the table. You sit down and eat something. I made pancakes with chocolate cream, muffins and some eggs…" he smiled at her, a sweet, gentle smile of his.

"Deeks, did you sleep at all this night? I mean, how could you have prepared all of this… hell, it's 6am in the morning!"

This time he couldn't stop himself from laughing "If I didn't know you so well, I'd say you're worried about me…"

"Maybe…" she smiled back "…but you didn't answer my question. Was the couch too uncomfortable?" Kensi tried to hide a bit of the guilt she was feeling towards her partner, but probably she failed miserably.

"It wasn't because of the couch… actually it was more comfy than my own bed…" Deeks grinned, before getting more serious; even if his lips were curved in a hint of a smile, his expression was concentrated "I… only had too many things running through my mind…"

"Wow, I didn't think your lack of brain could bother you so much" she teased him, but she regretted immediately seeing that he was not joking back "Everything ok?"

"Yeah, I think not having a brain has its advantages" he told her, trying to sound nonchalantly, but it didn't work very well. He placed a dish full of food in front of her and sat in front of her as well, silently "I… was just reflecting on what you told me yesterday"

"And…?" Kensi said hesitantly, noticing the unnatural nervousness in her partner's behavior.

"I… I can't help myself and not being nervous about this incoming trial. I feel like I'm going into the lion's den and I'm not sure I'll make it out, then there is this case that's driving me nuts… and… hell, I have other stuff going on in my head" Deeks took a hand to his mouth, trembling "See? I'm not even myself anymore. I… I have never been like this… and I… I hate it!"

"Hey, don't say that" she put one of her hands over his, to comfort him "You've been through a lot… it's normal to be nervous, but… we're here for you. I am here…" their eyes locked and for a moment they felt so close, closer than they had ever been.

"Thanks" he whispered, moving his other hand over hers, squeezing it "For everything…"

She felt her heartbeat pacing madly as she lost herself into his blue eyes "Deeks, I…"

"Do I smell pancakes?" Vika's voice interrupted them as she walked into the kitchen.

Deeks' hand retreated from Kensi's and the two of them turned their glances away, clearly embarrassed even if the other woman was still too sleepy to realize what was going on between them.

"Yeah… Deeks made us breakfast" Kensi replied indicating her full dish on the table.

"Marty… I could kiss you for that" Vika's voice was still raspy and her eyes were still half closed, giving her a funny appearance, the disheveled hair so out of character for her "But I think you have to wait until I'll be a bit more awake than I am now"

"I take that you had a good night of sleep Vika" Kensi told her, smiling cunningly.

"Why are you giving me that little foxy smirk, pretty girl?" her friend furrowed her brows, narrowing her eyes "I have the impression you're making a fool of me…"

"You're too cute when you're such a mess…"

"Me? A mess?" unconsciously Vika passed a hand through her long hair "In your dreams" in a moment she straightened herself up and in two seconds she tamed her hair in a ponytail. The result was spectacular.

"Wow…" Deeks was only able to say, amused by what he saw.

Kensi rolled her eyes at his reaction, she should have been used to this, she was aware of the effect Vika had on men, but she was finding it hard to see her partner so fascinated by her friend.

"So am I still a mess?" Vika winked, pleased to see the effect she had on the cop "Can I have some coffee , Marty? Please?" she purred.

"Oh… well… coffee…" he swallowed hard, why was it so difficult? This could be every men's dream, being in a room with two gorgeous women, so why did he feel so cornered, so under pressure? "Kensi… coffee for you too?"

"Yes, thanks… Marty…" she deliberately used his first name to mock him, channeling what Vika had just did.

Deeks moved away from the table, a little bit relieved to take a break from them "Really Deeks? What's up with you?" he murmured to himself.

"So did you sleep well, Kensi? Are you still in pain?" Vika asked her friend, her sweet expression back on her face "I'm sorry I… I think I fell asleep yesterday night without realizing it… and this morning I woke up… oh wait? How did I get to my bed?"

"Deeks" Kensi simply said, casting a glance at her partner who was approaching the table with two fuming mugs of hot coffee.

"Oh it seems I have another thing to thank you for, Marty" the redheaded woman said, gratefully.

"Oh… don't even mention it" he scratched his head, shyly.

"Oh maybe you should mention the fact that you let her use yourself as a pillow and I had to save you…" the NCIS agent teased him, more out of habits rather than for a real need.

"Save him? Oh God… I'm sorry Marty… I… your ribs!" Vika exclaimed, covering her mouth with her hands "Oh I'm so sorry Marty, I hope I didn't hurt you too much"

"No, it's ok…" Deeks gave his partner a scolding glance but before she could reply, her phone buzzed.

Kensi read the text intently, then he passed her phone to her partner who did the same. Their expression became serious.

"Hey guys… what's up?" the redheaded woman asked worried by the sudden change of mood of the others.

"Vika, do you know a man named Miroslav Vucinic?" the NCIS agent told her, without turn of phrase.

Vika seemed surprise by the question for a second, her green eyes cold as ice "No" she said dryly.

A shiver ran down Deeks' spine at the sound of her voice, there was a chilling note he had never heard before and that made him very uneasy. He exchanged a glance with his partner who didn't seem to share his feelings… maybe he was just over-thinking. Maybe…

"Vika, are you sure?" Kensi insisted, she was not satisfied by her friend's short reply.

"Don't you think I would remember someone who has a name almost weirder than mine?" Vika remarked, a bit annoyed by the agent's insistence. If there was something she really couldn't stand was being pushed and she didn't do anything to hide it "And my answer is not changing even if you're insisting. I don't know him"

"Are you sure? Because it looks like you didn't want to think about it, not even for a single second…" the NCIS agent pushed her friend even more.

Deeks could feel the tension growing between the two women, so he decided it was the right moment to put himself in the middle and smooth ruffled feathers "Ladies, please… there's no need to be mad at each other. We can discuss this matter like grown people as we are, don't you think?"

Kensi and Vika exchanged a hard glance, like they were throwing daggers to each other, but no one spoke, so the cop went on talking.

"Vika, it seems that your boss was doing some business with him… so this is why Kensi felt like pushing you a bit, since you said you knew everything was going on with the Carlsson Express and his owners"

"Look, Marty… I know everything is going on with the company, but I never heard of a Miroslav Vucinic" the redheaded woman locked her green eyes into the cop's blue ones, like she wanted to go through them.

Deeks had to take his glance away, unable to sustain the piercing stare "Your boss seems to know him, though…"

"Brent never talked about any man with that name, I would have remembered that… for sure"

"Actually it wasn't Brent… it was Craig" pointed out the cop.

"Craig? Are you serious? Craig can't take a decision by his own, he… simply can't. He can't move a pen without asking his brother…" Vika stared at Kensi, then smiled, cunningly "The man has a great taste, he's very artistic and believe me, I adore Craig, I really do, but he can't do business. Period… he's almost useless. Brent took him on board only because he's his brother"

The NCIS agent knew that with that cunning grin, her friend was burying the hatchet and things were back to normal between them, it was the way they always faced things, even back to college… they talked, they argued and then they were back to be best friends "Ok, but the fact is… Craig admitted it to Sam and Callen"

"Oh well… I think I underestimated him then. But tell me, why are you so curious about this man?" Vika stated, sipping her coffee.

"Well, he asked Craig to import some goods from Europe to the US… let's say, flying under the radar" Deeks didn't want to tell her too much, he still had that uneasy feeling every time he looked at Vika's eyes.

"I… I don't understand, what do you mean by flying under the radar?" the woman seemed genuinely surprised "You can't think that we… he… broke the law?"

"I'm sorry to say that… but so it seems" Kensi told her, gravely "Vucinic is not exactly the best person in the whole world…"

"But… no Craig… ok Craig is not the brightest guy ever, but he will never do anything to… no, I can't believe it…"

Deeks was going to add something when someone rang at the door. Instinctively he took out his gun and moved to the windows, to take a peek outside. Kensi mirrored his action, ok beside the peeking part since she didn't move from her chair. She put a hand over Vika's "Were you waiting for someone?"

Her friend simply shook her head, clearly scared.

When they saw the cop smiling and put his gun back, the two women relaxed.

"It's Callen and Sam" Deeks told them, opening the door "Morning guys" he greeted them.

"Morning Deeks" Sam said smiling "Oh well, well, well… see G? This is what I call an healthy breakfast" he added the moment he noticed what was on the table.

"Are you saying that what I offered you for breakfast wasn't healthy?" Callen retorted a bit disappointed.

"Ok guys, do you mind stopping arguing about food and tell us what are you two doing here?" Kensi asked, scolding them.

"Well, we came to make sure you two" the blue eyed leader said with a smirk on his face, referring to Kensi and Deeks "…didn't kill each other during the night"

"So we joined Franklin and Thomas and accompanied them. They are outside, checking the perimeter, just to be sure" echoed his partner while taking a muffin and tasting it "Man, this is so good… where did you get it?" he asked Vika.

She smiled kindly before answering "Marty made all of this…"

"You did this, Deeks?" Sam looked really surprised "I'm impressed Shaggy Boy"

There was a moment of silence, before Callen broke it "Ok, guys, Hetty wants us all back in Ops to discuss the new developments of the case… are you ready to come back? And Kensi… she said you should go to see the doc for your ankle; she's afraid you might hurt it yesterday during the shooting…"

"But I'm fine, I'm even feeling better this morning!" the female agent protested vehemently.

Both Callen and Sam gave her a rebuking glance, that didn't leave space to a reply.

"You better not upset her, Fern" Deeks was enjoying the moment and couldn't suppress a chuckle.

"Gah… I hate you!"

"Are you… all leaving then?" Vika wondered with a feeble voice, interrupting the conversation going on among the agents "Are those agents… I mean… I don't know them and… I…"

"Vika, they are trained agents, they are very good at what they did, you have nothing to worry about it…" Kensi took her friend's trembling hand in hers, sensing her fear. She could understand her; Vika has been attacked in her house and saved by someone she knew, now she was in a place that wasn't hers, with people she didn't know at all, aware that someone was out there trying to kill her. This could scare everyone "Guys, maybe I could stay here, with her…"

"Hetty is going to kill you…" Sam told her, shaking his head "No way, maybe I…"

"If it's not a problem, I can stay" Deeks offered, a bit reluctantly though. He didn't know why he felt this uneasiness when he was around Vika, maybe it was simply the fact that he knew she had a soft spot for him, but otherwise, he was aware that this was the best option, for all of them "You can update me on the case by phone…"

"I think it's a good idea" Callen said, nodding to his partner.

Kensi frowned at the idea, leaving Vika and Deeks alone in an empty house was something that gave her conflicted emotions. She couldn't deny the fact that her partner could keep her friend safe, but she wasn't sure the same partner could be safe from her friend's tentacles "Are you ok with that Deeks?" she asked, locking her eyes on his.

He blinked several time, looking a bit guilty, then nodded, flashing one of his smiles "Yeah, of course… we'll be good" his voice trembled a bit, as he was not so sure.

"Ok then… everything is set" Sam stated, taking another muffin "Man, I still can't believe you made these things"

"Glad you like them Sam" the cop smirked pleased. Every compliment from the ex-Seal made him very proud "Out of here now. Kensi, let me know what the doctor will say about your ankle, ok?"

His partner studied him, noticing the light frown on his forehead, the way his hands played with each other, the way his right eye seemed even smaller than usual compared to his right one. Deeks was definitely nervous and she didn't like it at all, she didn't like leaving him alone in this moment "You'll be good, will you?"

"Don't worry Fern… I… I'll be good" he simply said, almost whispering.

"Yes, don't worry Fern" Vika intervened, taking Deeks by his arm "We'll be good"

"Oh yes, now I'm so tranquil…" the female agent took her crutches and slowly stood up "Come on guys, let's go… the sooner I'll be done with the doctor, the sooner I'll be happy"

When the three NCIS agents left, Vika gave Deeks a full, cunning grin "So Marty, it's you and me now…"

The cop didn't know why, but there was something in the way she said those words that literally chilled his bones. Man, it was going to be a long day…

* * *

In spite of his worst worries, the morning alone with Vika was going on very well for Deeks. They had cleaned the kitchen first, then they had listened to some music while sitting on the couch and they had even found some affinities in terms of musical taste. Now it was almost lunch time and he couldn't control his stomach that rumbled distinctively.

"I bet you're hungry, Marty…" Vika laughed out loud.

Deeks scratched his head, shyly "Well, I'm… a big boy. I need nourishment…" he stated, jokingly "And this morning between Kensi and Sam eating almost everything, I didn't get much for breakfast"

"Ok, let's do this way… I can fix you something to eat" she got up, playing with her hair. She had a way to move that was almost irresistible, she was like a magnet for the men… and she knew it. She knew that she had a power on the male side of the universe and she wasn't ashamed to use it "Do you mind giving me a hand? I'm not as good as you are at cooking" she offered him a hand to grab to get up from the couch, but the cop simply choose to ignore it.

"Yeah… of course" he stood up and moved to the kitchen "Haven't you ever cooked for your husband?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Well, let's say I never had the real need to do that… Mario came from a healthy family of the south of Italy so we had a lot of people helping us with the house" she started while she put on an apron with little red candles on it.

"Where did you live with him? If I can dare asking you… personal questions"

"We lived in Italy, in Sicily in a beautiful house near the sea. God I loved that place… Italy is amazing, and Italian men…" her green eyes sparkled amused and her voice seemed full of good memories "I better not to tell you about them"

"Hey, what does it mean? I can understand that _Italians-do-it-better thing_, but hey… you can't resist a surfer charm…" Deeks remarked proudly.

Her hand moved slowly to his shoulder, delicately, teasingly dancing down to his chest "Definitely no" she stated firmly, biting her lower lip.

The cop stepped back, clearly embarrassed, his tongue unconsciously played with his lips and this gave her another reason to tease him.

"Oh don't be so embarrassed Marty… you're just too cute when you feel cornered" she approached him, her fingers ticking on his chest, again.

"Vika, please…" he told her, almost begging her to let him be.

The redheaded woman smiled bitterly, turning her back to him "I'm sorry Marty… but this whole situation is getting to me and I tend to be… horny when I'm nervous…" she covered her face with her hands "Oh God, how could I do that? I… don't misunderstand me, I'm not a bad person and I liked Bernie, I truly liked him… I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…" tears wetted her green eyes.

"It's ok Vika, I… can understand you" he laid a gentle hand on her trembling shoulder.

She turned to face him, taking the same hand in her "Marty, can you… would you mind…"

Deeks didn't need to be asked, he took Vika in his arms, letting her sob into his chest, while he caressed her hair "It's ok, everything is ok"

After few minutes, she broke the embrace, wiping away the tears that still ran down her cheeks "Please, excuse me… I…"

His stomach decided to save him, rumbling again; he laughed clearly uneasy "I'm sorry…"

"We better fix you something to eat" Vika guided him toward the table "What would you like to have?"

Aware that she was probably not a great cook, he told her kindly "A sandwich is good enough" then, seeing her relaxing a bit, he changed the subject of the conversation "How long have you and Mario been married?"

She appreciated his effort to ease the moment "Eight months… they've been probably the best months of my life. Mario was an amazing man… he still is, we're friends now. We simply realized that we were not made to be together, we didn't function very well… actually we still see each other and trust me, sex is great!"

Deeks chuckled, not surprised at all by her affirmation "So after you two broke you came back to the US…"

"Actually, no. I… I wanted to see new places, met new people, so I stayed in Europe and I think I saw the best part of it" she paused before going on, like she was reliving those moments "I went to Spain, France, Germany, Russia… Great Britain, Scandinavia… yeah I think I saw pretty much everything"

"Wow, that's cool… I bet you learn a lot of things in all the travelling"

"Yeah, I learnt some languages and this was what took me to the Carlsson Express, with my language skills, with the contacts I had in Europe, I think I was what Brent was looking for" it was undeniable that she was very proud of herself, very self-confident of her abilities too.

"How long have you been working for them?" Deeks couldn't hide his interest in her, she had an exciting life, for sure.

"One year and half. Good salary, lot of good places to go, high class restaurants… a good house…" her voice cracked a little, her hands shaken "Until now… I…" but it was just a moment of weakness, she returned back to be herself in a second "Now, tell me about yourself… Mr. Detective"

The cop smiled, shaking his head "Well… my life is not so interesting. I've lived here, in LA, for my entire life… I still live in my… neighborhood, well close enough. I have a job that I like, a small apartment that's probably smaller than the shower box of this house… and yes, I have a dog, Monty…"

"Girlfriends? Wives?" she pressed him, cunningly.

He ruffled his hair, nervously "Nah, none of them… this job doesn't leave me enough time for a serious relationship"

"Kensi?" Vika insisted, passing her tongue on her upper lips in a very sensual way, she didn't do that on purpose, it was an unconscious gesture, out of habit.

Deeks gulped… almost chocking "Ha… I… hey… no… I mean… she… we…"

"Ahahah I left you speechless. This must mean something" Vika joked, laughing out loud.

The phone, ringing, saved him "Speaking of the devil… it's Kensi. Hey partner… yes… good, very good. You must be happy… no, everything is ok… we're… doing fine… ok, I tell her that. Ok… bye" he looked at the gorgeous woman in front of him, still a bit too embarrassed for his own being "It was Kensi… she said the doctor cleared her up. It seems her ankle was not as bad as they thought at the beginning, she's out of crutches even if she has to avoid strenuous physical activity…" he realized his words sounded vaguely out of place or maybe too in contest with the previous part of their conversation "No, not that kind of activity.. Just movements… like running, walking…"

"Your blabbing… and you're damn cute when you do that!" she couldn't contain herself and laughed again.

"Well, good… really? You're laughing at me… this is not fair!" even if, at first, he didn't want, Deeks smiled back "Kensi say hi, by the way"

"Thanks" Vika sighed, becoming serious "So… where were we?"

"You were talking about your trip through Europe" the cop looked at her innocently.

"You're a foxy snake Marty Deeks… you know very well what we were talking about, don't try to change the subject!"

"What? Aren't we discussing about all the places you visited? All the people you met?" insisted Deeks, winking.

Vika wasn't able to hide how much she was enjoying the time she was spending with the cop "You're a very interesting character Detective Marty Deeks… the more I know you, the less I can see why you're a cop. What made you choose the career in law enforcement? I mean, Kensi told me about her father, about how much she had always wanted to find out what happened to him, she had a good reason… what's yours? Why are you a cop?"

His expression changed, losing all the joy and carelessness of few moments ago, his eyes almost sad "Life… that's it. Life made me what I am now"

"Wow, this is… tough" Vika studied him with different eyes now, intrigued by his statement "You… you were…" she paused, staring at him even more intently "You've been hurt in the past, haven't you? I can see that…"

Deeks gave her a bitter chuckle, he felt unusually exposed, naked in front of those knowing green eyes, like they were able to go through the walls he had laboriously built around himself; it was a weird sensation, a feeling he didn't like at all "It's up to us to make our life …better, that's why I do what I do… why I am a cop… while I was a lawyer once"

"A lawyer, that's even more surprising! You're a man of million faces, Marty!" Vika's voice couldn't hide her surprise "Did you… attend trials with… hair like you have now?"

He flashed one of his best smiles "I'm not gonna answering this question!"

"Hey, who's not fair now?" she protested, poking him.

"Ouch… now I can see a pattern here… you, Kensi… hurting me…!"

"Would you like me to behave like Kensi too? Maybe you'll look at me under a different light then…" Vika moved sensually, brushing his body with hers.

A heat wave assaulted him, as he puffed clearly uncomfortable "Weren't we going to make a sandwich?" he wondered, rummaging through cutlery, looking for a way to distract her from the conversation.

Vika sneered amused "Marty, Marty, Marty… you're so easy to play with…" then taking him by his arm, she added "Come on, let's make that sandwich"


	15. Chapter 15

Once again, I'm here thanking all of you for the time you spent reading and leaving a review. It's time for a bit of action, as I promised.

As always, please forgive any mistakes...

* * *

Poisonous Path - Chapter 15

Sam, Callen and Kensi arrived at the Mission right before midday. The bullpen seemed quieter than usual when the three agents stepped through the big wooden door and they had to look around at least twice to be sure they were in the right place.

"I have to admit, without Deeks this place is almost too quiet" the ex-Seal said, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Is it a funny way to say you're missing Deeks?" Callen raised his eyebrow at his partner statement, teasing him.

"Never! But… I don't like this silence, it's unnatural, that's it…"

Kensi grinned, sitting at her desk "Don't worry Sam, I'll be sure to tell him"

"You will never do that…"

"Oh she will, big guy, definitely" Callen mocked him, playfully.

"I am sure Mr. Deeks will appreciate your sentiment, Mr. Hanna" Hetty intervened, once again appearing out of nowhere.

"But it was not what I meant…" Sam felt his teammates' eyes on him "I miss Deeks but not as… hey, it's not like that…"

Callen put a hand on his partner's shoulder "Don't worry Sam, we've always known you're a big softie deep inside"

"Now, that we have set things straight, I would like you to join Mr. Beale, Miss Jones and me in Ops to discuss this case. There are still too many dark details that need to be enlightened before it would be too late" Hetty climbed up the stairs and soon her agents followed her.

"Hey guys, Hetty" Eric greeted them without taking his eyes away from the screen of his computer.

"Miss Jones, Mr. Beale, please… we'd like an update on our case" the Operation Manager said gravely "It seems that we are at a stalling point, maybe talking about it, we'll give us some clues…"

"Oh yes… I thought we were waiting for Deeks" the tech got up from his station and moved towards the big screen.

"We checked the bank accounts Craig Carlsson gave us and we've been able to trace some payments from an undefined source, we tried to track it and link it to Vucinic but whoever did it, covered every possible trace. We got lost… in the sea…"

"Mr. Beale, I would like to remind you that this is a very serious matter"

"I'm serious Hetty… we literally lost tracks of the source of the payment in the middle of the Pacific Ocean" Eric replied more embarrassed for the lack of results than for Hetty's scolding "We're still working on it, but it will take a lot of time, maybe…"

"Do we have any news on Vucinic and on his trip to the US?" Callen asked as an image of the Serbian trafficker popped out on the big screen.

Nell worked on her pad, while talking "We were not able to find anything illegal about him, his business is legitimate, all of his books are in order, he paid the taxes… not even a speeding ticket. Nothing of nothing!"

"There must be something" Kensi stated, staring at the screen as she could find something useful in what she was seeing.

"What about his private life? Can we connect him or anyone of his family to some illegal activities?" it was Sam's turn to ask.

"We only know that his parents died when he was a little boy, his younger brother and he have been put into their grandmother's care when they were respectively 8 and 12, but this is pretty much what we know of his childhood" the petite analyst explained.

"What about his brother?" Callen furrowed his brows, he hated being so clueless.

"His brother Zoran died eight years ago… brain tumor and it seems that Vucinic spent a lot of money trying to help him. We checked his finances of that period" Nell added.

"I still don't get it though" the ex-Seal intervened "We have a Serbian trafficker who's buying military secrets from Bernard Flemmings and who's in business with Craig Carlsson to take goods to the US… but he looks clean like… a white clean shirt"

"Do we have an idea where those goods are now? Where did they take them to?" Kensi wondered looking at Eric and Nell.

"That's our problem… or Vucinic has someone working for him who's very good with computer stuff or Carlsson's working-under-the-radar is extremely good, because we are not able to find anything. I mean we know how many shipments they did, but after arriving on the American soil, they simply disappeared. If, as we suspect, the goods were weapons designed according to Flemmings' intel, they would be probably in the hands of dangerous criminals or… terrorists. And of course this might be even worse" the analyst answered for both of them.

"I still don't get why they killed Flemmings though… not to mention the fact that Poison Mary killed him at Brent Carlsson's house" Callen stated, shaking his head, unable to put his fingers on this situation.

"Maybe it was a warning for Craig, to scare him in case he wanted to stop doing business with Vucinic" Sam pointed at the image of Flemmings' dead body while expounding his theory "And for what we've seen so far, it worked pretty well. Carlsson is terrified"

"What I don't get it though, it's how Brent and Vika didn't realize what was going on. According to Vika, Craig is pretty much useless… especially when it comes to doing business" Kensi hated the fact of seeing her friend involved in this complicated story "And are we sure that Vika's attempted murder was because of Flemmings? Couldn't it be because she could inadvertently find something in the Carlsson Express company's books? Something that linked them to Vucinic and his traffics?"

"This is an interesting theory, Miss Blye. Maybe you can go back to the safe house and talk to your friend, trying to understand what she might know" Hetty instructed, her voice grave, realizing the seriousness of this whole situation "You all know that if those stealth weapons Flemmings and his group were working on would end in the hands of the wrong people, the consequences would be terrible. For all of us…"

There was a moment of silence in Ops, when everyone was trying to think about the consequences the Operations Manager was talking about.

"Come on Kensi, we'll drive you back to Craig Carlsson's house" Callen suggested, then he cast a glance at his partner who was giving him a smirk "Why are you looking at me like that Sam?"

The ex-Seal shook his head, smiling "I wonder if Shaggy survived Vika's advances…, no offense Kensi, but your friend can be very persuasive"

The female agent sent a cold glare to her teammate, again she was not comfortable knowing that her partner and her friend were alone in the same house, forced to live so close "I'm not offended" she said not very convincing.

"Ok let's go" Callen moved to the door "Eric, Nell keep us posted if something else might come out from your research"

Sam and Kensi followed him; they were almost out of the room when Nell called them back "Guys, I've just received some personal information about Vucinic from the Interpol"

The three agents stopped and walked back to Ops.

"Miss Jones, put them on the screen please" Hetty instructed, observing images and documents taking life.

"So… it seems that Vucinic was very close to his brother and he's taking care of his wife and son after Zoran's death. He even gave his sister in law his brother's quotes of the company. He owns 6o percent of it while she, and her 8yrs son, owns 40 percent" Nell was going through documents rapidly, knowing that she might find something very important in these files.

"Ok, he's a family man, but this doesn't help us…" Callen was a bit disappointed, he hoped for something more.

"Yes, but maybe this could be more interesting" the petite analyst pressed a couple of buttons of her pad and another file popped up "It seems that our Miroslav Vucinic is a married man himself; according to this file he's been married for six years" a not so clear picture appeared on screen, the picture of Vucinic's wedding day, the picture portraying him and his wife.

Everyone froze at the sight, because in spite of the blurred image, everyone recognized the woman in the picture, a tall woman, with dark hair… it was the picture of the woman they were looking for, a picture of Poison Mary.

* * *

There was something that Marty Deeks didn't like very much and it was waiting, but he probably hated, even more, not knowing what he was facing. And this was exactly what was happening with this case.

After eating a sandwich with him, Vika had asked him if she could lie down a bit because in spite of the good night she had, this whole situation was having the best on her and she had got tired very easily. So she had excused herself and walked upstairs to her room.

The cop had grabbed a cup of coffee and sitting on the big sized couch, he had started reflecting on the case, trying to elaborate everything they knew so far. He didn't know why he had this weird feeling since the beginning, like something was out of place, like they were missing something important that could help them to solve the case.

There were too many details that didn't convince him, too many people involved that didn't have anything in common or at least, most of the people involved in the whole case were linked, but not in a helpful way. Flemmings had a relationship with Vika who worked for Carlsson who was the owner of the house in which Flemmings' body had been found and who was the brother of the man who was in business with Vucinic who was a weapon trafficker who paid Flemmings to get some military secrets… gah, even thinking about all of this gave him a headache, just saying that drove him mad.

Deeks sipped his coffee and then laid it on the table in front of him. His hands ran through his hair and stopped to his stiff neck that he tried to stretch "I'm getting old" he told himself, realizing that the night he spent on the couch had made him sorer than he thought. He got up and paced up and down the big room, stopping in front of the window. The view was spectacular and very peaceful. Craig Carlsson had a really good taste when it came to houses and furniture, good taste and a lot of money, that was for sure.

With his eyes still looking out of the window, the cop allowed his mind to wander, taking his focus away from the case for a moment. He found himself thinking about the incoming trial and he could not stop himself from shivering at the idea. Flashes of memories danced in front of him, images of little scared children beaten and abused while Tan's evil laugh resounded in the air. Unconsciously his bruised ribs reacted and a stabbing pain hit him as he remembered Tan's fists punching him… Deeks tried to shake himself, to escape from the memories. He hadn't thought about all of these things in ages, why were they coming back now? Why haunting him again? Without realizing he shivered, his whole body shaken by trembling, his hands clenched in tight fists, so tight that his knuckles whitened and his nails scratched his palms "Please, no….." he murmured to himself "Not now… not anymore"

He was sweating profusely and he could feel his shirt getting wet as perspiration soaked it, he couldn't panic, no… he needed to be lucid, to be focused, so, taking deep breaths as Dr. Morrow had taught him, the cop tried to take his mind to a happier place, to something that could relax him, that could calm him down and the first image that formed in front of his eyes, was a smile, gentle and caring, Kensi's smile. Slowly he regained control of his breath and his heartbeat slowed down as well… it was working. He was finally having the control of his body back.

Deeks closed his eyes, inhaling deeply and he was so lost in this action that he didn't realize that someone was behind him until a hand laid on his shoulder, startling him "Ahgh.." he almost screamed, panic could be read on his still sweaty face.

"Marty… I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you" Vika told him, noticing his crappy appearance "Are… are you ok? You look… are you alright?" she saw him shaking like a leaf, his eyes lost somewhere else.

"Yeah… I'm… fine. I'm fine" he wanted to sound convincing, but he was aware that he failed miserably. He was supposed to be here to look after Vika, but he allowed his mind to distract him. His hand rubbed his face, as he wanted to take away any trace of his discomfort "I… I thought you were sleeping" he changed the subject.

She understood what he wanted to do and played along "I thought I was sleepy, but… it seems that I wasn't as tired as I thought. And between me and you, this whole situation is… too scary… I…" her voice cracked a little "Oh I'm sorry Marty, I know you might have your own issues, I shouldn't burden you with mine"

Deeks smiled gently "Oh don't worry, I prefer to be burdened by you than facing my… issues, as you called them, instead"

"That bad?" she wondered, her green eyes sparkling as her hand moved to touch his cheek "It must be really painful…" she told him whispering.

Once again, the cop felt the uneasiness growing inside of him and his first instinct was to escape, to move away from this woman "I… do you mind if we talk about something else, please?" he walked away from the window and moved to the table in front of the couch, picking up the coffee and sipping it.

"As you wish" Vika simply said, biting her lower lip, sensually.

A beep coming from his phone saved him "Oh crap!" he exclaimed taking it out "It's dead… you don't have a recharger for this, have you?"

"No… I'm sorry" she cut him shortly.

"Damn it, I think I left mine at the office" a bit frustrated he put it back in his pocket "The guys should update me on the new developments of the case… I bet I'll have to wait to go back to the office… and maybe I should go back, maybe they need me…"

"Or you need them?" there was an ironic note in her voice, something Deeks didn't like too much.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Nothing" she excused herself, raising her hand in the air "I was just saying…"

The cop narrowed his eyes trying to understand what kind of game she was playing now, but she was very hard to read, those green eyes didn't let go anything and this unsettled him even more.

"I… you know, maybe I have a recharger in my purse now that I think about it. It's Brent's… let me go upstairs and get it" it was like she wanted to get away of this awkward moment too.

Deeks sighed heavily "What the hell is happening here?" he asked himself.

Two minutes later, Vika came back and laid her purse on the table, rummaging through it "Here it is" she finally said triumphantly taking out a recharger for the phone, but doing so with such enthusiasm, the wire hitched on some spare objects that were taken out too and fell to the ground "Oh… gosh..."

"Hey let me help you" Deeks offered, and started collecting the items from the floor. His eyes stopped on an object, on an old pocket clock that didn't seem to work at all… it wasn't the watch itself that caught his attention… it was the picture embedded into it…

* * *

"I can't believe!" exclaimed Sam "Vucinic is married to Poison Mary…"

"Now we know who he was going to meet last month when he came here. They were planning Flemmings' homicide" Callen continued, his eyes still on the screen.

"Miss Jones is there a wedding certificate? Something that could give us a name?" Hetty moved closer to the screen, studying intently the picture.

"There's something familiar in her" Kensi frowned as her stomach clenched.

"I'm going through the files" Nell was working directly on the screen so everyone in the room could see what she was doing.

"There it is!" Eric indicated a small folder in the directory his friend was checking.

A second later the file opened…

"Oh my God…" Nell murmured, turning to face the others.

* * *

Deeks froze at the sight, he couldn't believe what his eyes were staring at. He picked up the little object studying intently, his hands shaking a little. It was a picture portraying Vika, smiling, shining in happiness. Next to her stood a man… just the sight gave him chills.

He straightened himself up and turned to face the gorgeous redheaded woman… it was then that he felt it, a little prick on his arm and saw Vika smiling at him… it was the last thing he felt before his whole world faded into black. In distance he could hear her voice, calm and cold "I'm sorry Marty… it's such a pity getting rid of you…"

* * *

Nell could see the shock in everyone's eyes the moment they read the name of Vucinic's wife, the name of Poison Mary. That name… Viktoria Ekaterina Gordenkova.

"Vika is… Poison Mary" stated Sam gravely.

"I would have never imagined that…" echoed Callen, almost unable to realize what this meant exactly.

"Oh God!" Kensi shouted "Deeks!" she grabbed her phone and tried to dial her partner's number "Come on, come on, come on Deeks. Pick it up" she murmured praying that he could answer her, but sadly it didn't happen "It's dead!"

"Go! What are you still doing here?!" Hetty told her team "Go get her, now!"

The three agents didn't wait for her to tell them twice and rushed outside the room.

"Mr. Beale, track Mr. Deeks' phone. Quickly" the Operations Mangers ordered, her stomach clenched by a tight knot. She closed her eyes praying it was not already too late. She didn't want to think about the worst, but she was too experienced to ignore that little voice in the back of her mind that was telling her that something was wrong, that Mr. Deeks should answer his phone, that… "Mr. Beale?"

"The phone is turned off or dead… I can't track it, but the last position registered by its internal GPS, tell us that it is still at Craig Carlsson's house" the tech couldn't hide his worry. He hated being stuck in Ops waiting for news when one of them was in danger "He… he is fine, isn't he?" he asked to no one specifically.

Nell didn't answer, she simply laid a hand on his shoulder to comfort him, but mostly to get some comfort herself.

"I do hope so, Mr. Beale" Hetty said gravely "I hope so…"

* * *

And here it is... as many of you suspected Vika is really Poison Mary (ok I left some hints here and there... but you did good!) but who imagined her connection with Vucinic?

And of course, I won't let you hang too long, I promise you... next chapter will be up soon!


	16. Chapter 16

As always thank you all for reading, reviewing and all. It means a lot, but I think I have just said that.

So, back to us, I think it's time to see what happened to Deeks...

* * *

Poisonous Path - Chapter 16

Silence engulfed Sam's Challenger as it ate the road, driving at high speed towards Craig Carlsson's house, a deep, uncomfortable and deafening silence.

The three agents were worried, but no one dared to speak. Every one of them lost in a different world.

Sam once in a while cast a glance at his partner and then at Kensi, who was sitting behind them, through the rear view mirror. He could see that she was on the edge of breaking down, her eyes were teary and her expression couldn't hide the chilling fear she felt for her partner's fate. Every now and then, she took out her phone and dialed Deeks' number, but every time she didn't get the answer she wanted.

"We're almost there" the ex-Seal said trying to reassure her, but she didn't give him a sign to have heard him "Have you got any word from Eric?" he asked his partner.

"Yeah, he said that the phone is dead but its last verified position was at the house…" Callen replied gravely, his voice became even lower when he added "I tried to contact Thomas and Franklin…" he didn't need to finish the sentence aware that his friend understood exactly the fears he didn't want to voice.

Sam, silently, signaled to his partner to take a look at Kensi who was struggling to stay calm, to control her emotions. She didn't want to show them to her friends, she didn't want to lose herself in the guilt… because she blamed herself. Vika was her friend, one of the few friends she had ever had, how could she be so blind not to see what was right in front of her? And what if… no, she didn't want to think about it. Deeks was fine, there were hundreds of reasons why he didn't answer her calls. He must be fine… Her heart was beating madly and she was sure it was going to explode if she didn't do anything soon… so she grabbed her cellphone, frustrated, and called her partner again. No answer.

When finally the black car arrived in sight of the isolated house, the three agents noted that it was very peaceful, like nothing was out of place, like everything was fine.

Sam stopped the Challenger next to Franklin's silver SUV and they got out of the car, taking out their guns. In silence and with their eyes wide open, they approached the entrance.

Callen was almost at the door, when something caught his attention, something that chilled his bones, a leg coming out from behind a bush. Tightening the grip on his weapon, he rushed to take a look. Agent Anthony Franklin was lying in a pool of blood with his throat slit open. He shook his head signaling at his partner, that there was nothing they could do for the man.

Sam scanned the area with his trained eyes while Kensi was covering him, looking for any sign of Vika or of Deeks and doing so, he saw him, Agent Matthew Thomas, leaning against a wall, his head tilted on one side. A gunshot wound right in the center of his forehead…

This was too much for Kensi, she couldn't contain herself anymore and started running towards the house "Deeks!" she shouted sounding more desperate than she wanted to admit "Deeks!" she repeated but no one answered.

Her two teammates ran after her as she stepped into the big house, their guns ready to take a shot.

The big living room was empty and so was the library "Clear!" they shouted one after another when they didn't find any trace of their friend or of Vika.

"There's no one here" Callen said clearly disappointed "Where they hell are they?"

"Do you think she took him?" Sam wondered not liking any of the possible answers he could receive, any of the possible scenarios forming in his mind.

"I don't know… I… really don't know" his partner had his eyes locked on Kensi who hadn't said a single word after stepping into the house "Kensi? Kens…" he called but she didn't even look at him.

It was then that she saw that the French window leading to the backyards was open "No… no, no, no…" without giving an explanation she rushed outside "Deeks!" she cried out loudly as Sam and Callen hardly kept her pace "Deeks!" she repeated with a desperate note in her voice when she reached the swimming pool and saw it… a still body floating face down in the water, the trade-mark checked shirt, the unmistakable blond hair "NO!" she yelled even more scared as she jumped into the pool reaching him with just two strokes.

Callen and Sam approached the swimming pool as Kensi reached Deeks' body, turned it on his back and started swimming towards the poolside, in horror they hoisted their friend out of the water, checking on him with their heart beating wildly in their chest. The cop was so pale, too pale…

"He's not breathing" Callen shouted after putting his face over Deeks' mouth without any breath coming out of it.

"No pulse" echoed Sam as he took out his phone "Eric, ambulance, quickly!"

"Sam… what happened?" the tech asked but no one answered because the ex-Seal and his partner were too busy performing CPR "Callen? Sam? Kensi?"

Kensi got out of the water herself and immediately knelt beside her partner "How's he doing?" she managed to say before her voice died in her throat, she couldn't believe the scene that was happening in front of her eyes, this was a dream, a very bad dream "Callen, how's he doing?" she repeated when no one answered her.

"Not breathing… no pulse" the blue eyed leader told her between one compression of the cop's chest and another.

"No, no… NO!" she screamed, taking her partner's hand in hers… it was so cold, so lifeless. Tears rolled down her cheeks mixing with the chlorinated water of the pool "Come on Deeks, don't do this to me… come on…" she muttered, holding tight to his hand as doing so she could bring him back "Please… don't do this to me"

Sam stopped for a moment his mouth-to-mouth resuscitation attempt, looking at his partner, shaking his head… it was too late, they lost him.

Kensi saw the exchange "NO! You can't give up…" she cried out moving Callen aside and she started punching Deeks' chest "You can't die Deeks! Come on… Don't you dare do it to me… Wake up you idiot!" she punched and punched, fighting the tears that were falling copiously on her partner's soaked shirt "Wake up!" she slammed both of her fists on his chest.

"Kensi… Kensi… come on…" Callen tried to take her away as the sound of sirens could be heard in distance, approaching quickly the house.

"No… he can't be dead… he…" she was almost collapsing in her leader's arms when something caught her attention, a movement, feeble, almost imperceptible, around the corner of Deeks' mouth a little bubble was forming "He's breathing…" she murmured.

"What? No… he's not. He…" Sam froze when he saw that too "Yes, it's true… and… I've got a pulse… feeble…" without hesitation, he turned Deeks' face on one side, happy to see a little rivulet of water coming out of his mouth "He's still with us… barely, but he's still with us…"

Callen almost couldn't believe it, Deeks was alive against all odds and Sam was crying. He lifted his head, staring at the sky and let the tears he was holding himself, flow.

"You'll be ok Deeks… just hang in there" Kensi was brushing gently her partner's hair with one hand while the other was holding tightly his "Soon, you'll be good as new… just don't give up…"

They heard the ambulance stopping outside and the paramedics storming inside… they made it, this time they made it.

* * *

Thanks to Eric's computer skills, Hetty arrived at the hospital right when a team of paramedics was pushing Deeks' gurney inside the ER, followed by Callen, Sam and a still wet Kensi draped in a blanket.

"For the love of Gods, what happened?" she asked worried, a bit upset to be left in the dark "Are you ok Miss Blye?"

"Yeah, I'm fine Hetty" the female agent replied distractedly, her eyes were locked on the glass door that separated her from the room where her partner was taken care of.

"Can someone tell me what the hell happened in that house? You didn't call, you didn't tell anything to Eric, the cameras around the house were blind... we were worried" the Operations Manager's voice was even bossier than usual, but her concern was palpable "We had to find out by ourselves that there was an ambulance directed to this hospital that was transporting Mr. Deeks here, so now tell me, what-the hell-happened?!"

Callen exchanged a glance with Sam then started "When we arrived at Carlsson's place, we found Franklin and Thomas already dead in the garden in front of the house, while there was no one inside. No Vika, no Deeks… no one and everything seemed at its place, but we were wrong… it was Kensi who found him in the pool and who took him out. He… he…" he paused taking a deep breath, the image of his teammate's unresponsive body still stuck in his mind.

"He was not breathing and there was no pulse" continued Sam, noticing his partner's struggle "I… I thought we lost him, but then, after Kensi, slammed her punches on his chest… he was back" relief could be read on his face as his voice cracked a little. No matter how much he didn't want to admit it, but Deeks had grown a lot on the ex-Seal who considered the blond detective a part of his family and the tears he shed when he found out that the cop was alive, proved it.

Hetty sighed heavily hearing those words "What did the paramedics say?" she tried to remain professional, but she was aware that in spite of her position as Operations Manager, she cared too much about her team, she cared too much about every one of her agents.

"Well they were too busy keeping him alive" Callen added as he laid a hand over Kensi's shoulder "Kens, you need to get out of those wet clothes"

"I'm fine…" she simply whispered with an absent expression, too lost in her thoughts.

"Kensi, it's not your fault" Sam told her gently, taking her by the shoulders.

"Not my fault?" she wondered bitterly, narrowing her eyes "My… one of my friends is an International killer and I didn't see that at all… and Deeks…" she stopped herself because she didn't want to let the tears flow.

"He's alive, you have to think only about this. You have to concentrate on this and nothing else" Callen tried to comfort her, but it didn't seem to work.

"I… I… I allowed her to do this to him… I shouldn't have left him alone with her, I should have seen this coming…"

Hetty stepped forward and got closer to her agent "Miss Blye, you have to stop doing this now. You're not helping your partner with all this blame… and you're not helping yourself either. Do you think Mr. Deeks will be mad at you because of that?"

Kensi stared at her boss with her mismatched eyes that were barely holding the tears "I…"

"You know the answer" the older woman told her, smiling kindly "Now, please, do yourself a favor. Get some dry clothes and a cup of tea to warm yourself up"

The younger agent nodded tentatively while Callen put an arm around her shoulders "Come on Kensi, let's find you some dry clothes" and he guided her away, sending a thankful glance to his boss.

"Mr. Hanna, I asked Mr. Beale to send an arrest warrant for Miss Gordenkova or better for Mrs. Vucinic… airports, train stations, bus stations have been put on alert and so every police station and officer of LA. Leaving won't be too easy for her" Hetty told Sam who nodded gravely.

"That woman is smart and used to change her aspect and habits… she's been doing this job for years"

"Yes, but this time she made me very angry, because she touched one of mine… one of us" her eyes were cold and her voice, even if calm and firm, couldn't hide the hatred she felt for Vika. No one hurt her family and got away unscathed, no one messed up with Henrietta Lange.

The ex-Seal observed his boss, happy that she was on their side. The woman could be very dangerous in spite of her size, especially when she felt touched on something she cared about "So, what do we do now?"

"We wait, Mr. Hanna" Hetty said sitting in one of the plastic chairs of the waiting room "We sit here and wait".

* * *

Fifteen minutes later Callen and Kensi were back, he was holding a cup of coffee for his partner and a tea for Hetty while she was wearing light blue scrubs.

"Any news?" Kensi asked with an uncertain voice, unable to hide her concern.

"Not yet Miss Blye. It's been just few minutes… please have a sit and wait with me" Hetty suggested gently but her invitation sounded more like an order so her agent could do nothing else other than sitting down.

Callen and Sam exchanged a knowing look, both aware of each other feelings. They knew that even if Deeks was alive, this didn't mean he was fine. They both knew about the consequences a brain could sustain when deprived of oxygen and they didn't have the slightest idea of how long their friend had been in the water before they found him. But mostly they were worried about Kensi, they knew how much she cared about her partner, the two of them were getting closer day after day… what if Deeks will suffer for some brain damage? Will Kensi blame herself for the rest of her life?

"One thing at a time, G" the ex-Seal told his partner reading his mind.

Callen nodded, sighing heavily. He took a seat right next to Kensi, leaning his throbbing head against the wall, closing his eyes.

"You should take a painkiller for that head of yours, Mr. Callen"

"Hetty, how… how did you know I have a headache?" he asked, surprised.

"No matter how good you all are at hiding your emotions, your feelings… or the pain, I can always read all of you like open books" the diminutive woman smiled cunningly.

"Yeah… right. Of course you can" Callen chuckled a little before rummaging through his pocket and taking out a bottle of painkillers, gulping a pill without the help of any liquid. Then sending a glance to his boss, silently he asked her if she was satisfied, then leaned again his head against the wall… and waited.

An hour later the glass door of the ER opened and once again, Dr. Walcott stepped through it. He greeted the NCIS team with a smirk curving his lips "You should stop sneaking in my hospital only because you want to visit me…" realizing that the other people were not ready for his attempt of humor to break the tension, he got serious.

"How's he doing doc?" Kensi was the first to ask, standing on her feet.

"The most important thing is that… he's alive and according to what the paramedics told me, I was surprised by that, but then checking on him and after receiving the results of the blood tests, I can firmly affirm that he's been very lucky…"

"Sorry, Dr. Walcott, but I don't get it, why is he so lucky after…" Sam intervened furrowing his brows "Damn he… was practically dead"

Kensi swallowed hard hearing those words, she didn't like the sound of them, because they reminded them of how close they had been to lose her partner.

The doctor looked at all the agents in front of him that were waiting for his explanation and started talking "We found in his blood traces of a substance very similar to curare, I don't know if you are aware of the effects of curare…"

"It could cause apparent death" Hetty answered the question, nodding gravely.

"Exactly, this substance we found in his system caused apparent death, slowing down all of Marty's vitals, let's just say paralyzing all of his organs, nerves, muscles… everything…"

"And how all of this makes him a lucky man?" Callen pressed, not understanding where the doctor was going.

"Marty's been injected with this substance before he has been thrown into the water and this probably saved his life… because his lungs didn't absorb too much water… actually there was a very few amount of water into them. When you performed CPR, you simply… fought the effect of that substance, practically bringing him back into the land of living" Walcott finished talking but his expression wasn't relaxed as the agents expected it to be.

"But?" Kensi asked, voicing everybody's fear.

"We don't know how long he's been in the water, how long his brain has been deprived of oxygen… so we have to wait until he'll wake up. Brain scans didn't show anything out of place, but as you well know the brain is a very complicated organ. For the moment we're keeping him under a ventilator…" Dr. Walcott paused again "And once he'll wake up, we'll have to evaluate what kind of damage the poison he's been injected with, could have caused. There are not a lot of information regarding this substance and… every patient who has been in contact with it, has been affected in a different way"

"Dr. Walcott would you mind telling us what kind of effect we can expect to see in Mr. Deeks?" Hetty asked the question no one wanted to ask, too afraid of the answer.

The doctor sighed heavily, bowing his head, his green eyes fixed on the floor "Lack of functionality of some organs, paralysis, loss of sensibility… I would like to be more precise in my diagnosis, but this is the best I can give you right now. I contacted a specialist, an expert in the poison field, maybe he'll be able to give you the answers you're looking for… but first of all, we need to see him waking up"

"Do you have an idea of how long it would take him to do it?" Callen looked at the doctor straight in the eyes, noticing the man's frustration. Walcott cared about Deeks and he didn't do anything to hide it, even if it wasn't a very professional approach, but due to the history they had, it was expected.

"It's hard to say… but, the sooner the better"

Silence fell for a moment among them, until Kensi broke it "Can… can we see him?"

"We're moving him into a room in the ICU, I'll let you know as soon he'll be ready to receive your visit…" the doctor laid a hand on Kensi's forearm, his eyes locked on hers "We're doing the best we can to bring him back, Kensi"

She wanted to say a lot of things, but words died in her throat and she was able to tell him only a simple "Thank you"

"I better go now, whatever you need, you know where to find me" and with that the doctor left.

"It could have been worse" Sam affirmed without too much conviction.

"Yeah, but it could have been even better if I…" Kensi stopped herself from going on when she felt the tears rolling down her cheeks "Oh Damn it" and she ran away.

Callen wanted to follow her, but Hetty stopped him "Let her be alone for a while, Mr. Callen. She needs to sort out things by her own in this moment, in her way… we'll go get her when the doctor will allow us to see Mr. Deeks" the Operations Manager took a deep breath. It hurt her to see her team suffering, but at the moment there was nothing she could do to help them, nothing more than being there with them.

* * *

So... how was it? Do you think I could have killed him...? No, not this time... ;) I'm bad, but not that bad.

There's still some... things I have to say in this story, I hope you'll stick around a little while longer... thank you all!


	17. Chapter 17

I'm happy you liked the last chapter, I'm still not sure if you did it because you truly enjoyed or because I didn't kill Deeks ;). Just joking, thank you all, as always, for reading this story and leaving a review.

Since I'm not so sure if I'll be able to post a new chapter tomorrow, I'm doing it right now. I hope you don't mind. (I have no medical knowledge, so please forgive me if I wrote something wrong or incorrect)

* * *

Poisonous Path - Chapter 17

Night had come, lights had become softer and the hospital was not as full of activity as it was during the day. Nurses visited at regular intervals the patients, answering when one of them called for help.

ICU was even more quieter than the rest of the building, fortunately there weren't many patients at the moment and the doctors could easily concentrate on taking care of them. When Dr. Walcott walked into Marty Deeks' room, he was not surprised at all to find her there. Kensi was sitting in a chair at her partner's bedside, holding his hand, gently stroking his blond hair, completely unaware of the doctor's presence. She looked exhausted, the day had been very taxing for her too, physically but mostly emotionally, but even after the insistence of her friends, no one had been able to convince her to go home and get some rest.

Dr. Walcott smiled at the sight, at the way Kensi talked to Deeks, at the way she touched him, at the way she definitely cared for him. He wondered if this was the kind of bond two partners developed working side by side every day, putting their lives in each other's hands day after day or if there was something special about them, something that could go over being simply partners. He had never seen so much unconditioned trust, so much dedication in anyone he had met during his still young career and this lead him to think that Kensi and Marty were more than partners, they were best friends… maybe they could be even more. A little hint of sadness hit him realizing that maybe they won't have the chance to find out what life had in mind for them, all because of the evilness of some people, all because of a little bit of poison.

Sighing heavily trying to shake the bad thoughts away, the doctor decided to let his presence acknowledged, so he pretended to cough "Ehm ehm"

Kensi turned to face him, but she didn't let go her partner's hand still tightly entangled with hers, while the other one laid next to Deeks' head on his pillow "Dr. Walcott… hey" she said, smiling faintly.

"You know you should get some rest. He wouldn't like to know you spent all of your time with him, without taking care of yourself"

"Trying with the guilt's trick, doctor?" she smirked for a moment before turning serious almost immediately "You will never make me guiltier than I am already feeling"

"Kensi, I don't know what happened and… I don't even want to know, but I'm sure Marty will never blame you for whatever you did… you should know it by now" Walcott approached the bed, checking on his patient's vitals, nodding satisfied.

"How's he doing?" she asked, ignoring what the doctor had just told her.

"He's doing… as expected, respiration is good and so is the heartbeat. The various test we subjected him to, say that there is no infection or any sign of organs failure" the doctor explained her, giving her a little smile "But you changed the subject of the conversation"

"It's my fault… everything is my fault" Kensi held to Deeks' hand even tighter as she wanted to communicate with him in this way "It's my fault he's here, fighting again for his life. He… he didn't deserve this, if only I wasn't so blind… if only I behaved like a real agent, not like an idiot, well maybe… maybe… all of this would have never happened" she felt a tear rolling down her face and she hated herself because of that. She was too emotional, too weak and she didn't like a bit of it.

"I'm sure he doesn't think that and between me and you, for how much I learnt of him, he will never blame you, he respects you too much, he trusts you…"

"Good way I have to repay his trust and respect… getting him killed!" frustrated Kensi got up, breaking for the first time the contact with her partner, immediately feeling like she was missing something. It was a strange sensation, like someone had taken away a part of herself. She stood still, silent, staring at her hand first, then at Deeks'. What was happening here?

"Kensi, are you ok?" Walcott wondered worried when he saw the color leaving her face. He helped her back in the chair and offered her a glass of water.

"I… I think I got up too quickly… my ankle is still bothering me sometimes.." she muttered, sounding not convincing ever at her own ears.

The doctor tilted his head, looking at her gently, understanding her behavior, but he didn't give her the chance to realize that he knew "You should rest, I have already told you"

"No… I'm fine. I'll rest when I'll know he'll be ok"

Defeated, Walcott shook his head because of her stubbornness "I'll ask someone to get you a blanket or some other clothes, the scrubs can't keep you warm during the night"

Kensi smiled, grateful. She suspected the doctor didn't buy her lies, but he didn't argue with her or protested, sending her home… because she didn't want to be in any other place. She wanted to be here the moment Deeks will wake up.

"Do you need anything else? Food… something hot to drink…" Walcott laid a hand on her shoulder as she returned to her previous position, taking her partner's hand in hers and stroking his hair.

"I'm fine, doc… really"

"Just let me know if there will be any changes… or if you simply need something. I have the night shift…" he told her, before walking towards the door.

"Night shift? But weren't you here this afternoon already?" Kensi frowned, a bit puzzled.

"I… I'm replacing a colleague who… had an unforeseen appointment"

The NCIS agent smiled cunningly "You're such a bad liar… you would never be a great agent"

Walcott bowed his head, smiling "I should take some lessons from you then…"

They stared at each other in silence for few minutes, before she simply said, with a feeble voice "Thanks"

"Don't even mention it" the doctor cast one last glance to his patient and to Kensi, then walked out of the room.

"It's you and me now, Deeks…" Kensi told her too still partner "Just you and me"

* * *

It had been two days and Kensi never left her partner's side, partner who hadn't woken up yet. The doctors had got him out of the ventilator and applied an oxygen mask on his face, but he didn't even stir for a second during the whole operation. This was just frustrating… and worrying.

"Come on Deeks, I know you like to be late, but this is getting old" she said, still holding his hand "I need you to wake up, we all are waiting for you to do that"

Kensi couldn't stop staring at him, silently and mentally tracing every line of his face, hoping to see a little change, even a little twitch, anything that told her that he was finally going to be ok. Deeks was not so pale anymore, his heartbeat was stronger, but she couldn't take her mind away from the image of him the moment she found him in the pool, she couldn't forget the fear gripping her heart when she thought they were too late. In that moment her own heart had started beating wildly and it was like a part of herself was going into pieces. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't truly understand her own feelings. Deeks was her partner, her best friend… or was there more? Was she looking at him differently? Or what? As an unconscious reaction, she passed her hand over his forehead, stroking his hair, gently, tenderly…

She was so lost in her thoughts, that she didn't hear the door opening and Sam and Callen walking inside. The two men exchanged a knowing glance, before letting their presence acknowledged by their teammate.

"Hey Kens…" Callen greeted her, keeping his voice low not to startle her.

Kensi retreated her hands and straightened herself up in the chair "Callen, hey… Sam"

"Any news?" Sam wondered, casting a look at the still form in bed.

"No. Still the same" she stretched her back, sore for the night spent on the chair "He's still… he's still sleeping" she yawned, unable to stop herself from doing it.

"You should take a break, Kens. You've been here all the time… this is not doing you any good" the blue eyed leader moved towards her, putting a hand over her shoulder, feeling the tension coming from her "He didn't want you to…"

"I know, he didn't like me not taking care of myself, the doc already told me that" she paused, her eyes still locked on her partner "But… I won't go anywhere, not until he will wake up. I… can't, I simply can't leave him"

"Kensi… when did you sleep last time? And when did you eat? Look at you…" Sam intervened, he wanted to raise his voice a bit, but he contained himself because they were in a hospital. He needed to put some reason in her head. Kensi was exhausted, on the edge of fainting, but she was too stubborn and mostly she was feeling too guilty. Guilt was what was keeping her going on "You can't go on like this. You don't know when he'll wake up. What if it will take him one more day or two? You need to rest and if you won't do it by yourself, I'll ask the doc to put you to bed"

"NO!" she cried out, desperately, her voice cracking a little "I… promised him I would never leave him, that I'd stay here until he'll wake up and so I will do. Don't try to stop me" there was a threatening note in her voice that made her even more desperate than she wanted to let on.

"Kensi, we understand, believe me. We know what you're going through, but…" Callen started but once again, she interrupted him.

"And what do you know, Callen? Because I really don't know how you can do that… It's my partner who's lying in a hospital bed and it was my friend who almost killed him!"

"Beating yourself up won't make him get well sooner… it only makes you feel worse" the ex-Seal spoke with a lower voice, kind and gentle, uncharacteristically for someone of his strong built "We all made the same mistake, we all didn't see that coming. We all liked your friend and we let her hurt Deeks… it's not only your fault"

"But I… she…" Kensi felt her defenses crumbling down and she tried with all of her strength not to cry "What if… I can't stand seeing him like this, not again…"

"Come here" Callen helped her on her feet and engulfed her in an embrace, something so unusual for both of them, but the situation was getting to all of them, touching them deeply "It will be fine, he'll be ok soon. He knows that he has something worth living for, so he won't give up. And neither will you"

For the first time in more than two days, she didn't feel lonely; she realized that they were all on the same boat, that they were all feeling the same way "Thank you" she simply said, breaking apart from her friend.

"So, why don't we go to get something to eat, while Sam will stay here with him?" the blue eyed leader suggested, smiling nicely.

"I… I'm not sure if I…" Kensi's words were stopped by the sound of her phone ringing. The ID was unknown but she picked up the call anyway "Agent Blye"

"Hello Kensi" a familiar voice told her.

"Vika! You little snake" she almost yelled, putting the call on speaker "You know you're dead… because when I'll find you…"

"I take from your tone, that you know about me…" Vika's voice was mellow and mocking "Don't be so mad Kensi dear, I didn't like killing poor Marty, he was so cute" she laughed, viciously.

"For your information, he's not dead!" Kensi's tone became low and very dangerous "But you will be soon. You don't have a way out. I'll find you, even if it'll be the last thing I will do!"

In the meantime, Callen moved away from his friends and contacted Ops "Eric, I need you to trace the call Kensi's just got. Do it, now!" he whispered not wanted to be heard by Vika.

"What do you want, Vika?" Kensi asked her friend coldly.

"Oh… my poor Kensi, always so protective. I'm sure you're a wreck right now…" another laugh came from the phone "You should have seen him, those big blue eyes… he was so scared, Kensi, I'm sure his last thought was for you"

The female agent couldn't contain his anger anymore, Vika's words were like knives twisting in her heart "You little bastard! You're a coward… why don't you come out and face me? Only a venomous snake could do what you do, hiding behind a little bit of poison!"

"But it's so funny… seeing those men, so strong, so excited… they can't resist a woman. I love seeing their faces when they realize they are going to die, feeling their panic, smelling their fear. And Marty was not different, Kensi… he was terrified, I bet if he could have talked, he would had screamed… maybe even screamed your name. It was fun with him, because he couldn't move a single muscle, but he could feel everything… he knew he was going to die. Just think about what he could have felt when I threw him in the pool…"

"Stop!" Kensi felt her stomach turning upside down, she tasted the bile in her mouth "What happened to you, Vika? How could you have changed so much?"

There was a moment of silence, before Vika replied "You know Kensi… I thought you were a better agent. I've always been like this, but you simply didn't see it"

"Oh no, this is bullshit! I know…. You were not like this back at college, you're simply lying to yourself now!"

"Callen, I… I can't trace it. She's covering her tracks too well" Eric said sounding very frustrated "But I keep trying"

"Thanks Eric" Callen shook his head signaling to his teammates that they couldn't find the lady killer.

"I only wanted to say goodbye to you, Kensi! Since Marty is still alive, tell him it was not personal… Goodbye Kensi"

"No, wait! Vika! You can't do this to me!" Kensi shouted into the phone.

"Doing this to you? Kensi… you're alive because you were my friend. Do you know how many times I could have killed you in the last few days?" her former friend's tone was different now, more like the one of the woman the NCIS agent knew very well.

"You should have simply left… why? Why trying to kill Deeks?"

"Just bad luck… he saw something he shouldn't have. I couldn't leave witnesses behind… but since now you all know about me, I'm glad he didn't die. Trust me it would have been a shame…" Vika told her, lowering her voice "It's really time to say goodbye, Kensi. In a certain way it's been a pleasure to see you again… I truly missed you" and with that she closed the communication.

Kensi looked at Callen, who, once again, shook his head "Damn it!" she was full of rage, she didn't expect her to be so mad until she heard Vika's voice.

"Eric is still working on it, maybe he will find a lead" the team leader told her, hoping to reassure her.

"She's smart, she has always been and she's doing this dirty job long enough to have her way to escape…" Kensi was talking more to herself than to the others "Maybe she is already out of the country…"

"I doubt it" Sam remarked "Interpol, LAPD, FBI, NCIS are all looking for her. If she's so smart, she'll wait a little bit more before getting out of the US"

"I think Sam is right" Callen was talking when they all heard the sound of an alarm beeping and they could see the heart monitor going mad.

"Deeks!" Kensi shouted, rushing at her partner's bedside, finding him with his eyes open, struggling to move "It's ok, Deeks. Everything is fine" she tried to calm him down, shocked by the terror she could read in his deep blue eyes.

Deeks mumbled something incoherently as he continued tossing and turning in bed. Sam moved towards him blocking his legs from moving, afraid he could hurt himself even more, while Callen did the same holding his shoulders. This drove him even crazier and if possible, he put more strength in his attempt.

Noticing her partner's distress, Kensi cupped his face so he could look straight into her eyes "Deeks, look at me… just look at me" she ordered him, who almost unconsciously did what she told him "You're going to be fine. It's over… you're safe now"

Deeks blinked several times, swallowing hard, then his breathing returned regular, almost back to normal and his heartbeat slowed down "Ken…si" he murmured weakly, with a raspy voice.

"Yes, I'm here… everything is fine, Deeks" she smiled faintly, hoping he couldn't see the tears forming in her eyes "You're going to be fine"

* * *

After Deeks had finally woken up, doctors and nurses had walked into his room and pushed his teammates out, so they could check on him. He was still confused since he didn't know how he had ended up here, at the hospital, in this bed. The last thing he remembered was looking into Vika's cold eyes as she told him that he was going to die, then there was only darkness. A shiver ran down his spine as the memories flashed through his mind, but he tried to control his fear, thinking about Kensi's voice while she was telling him that everything was going to be fine, that he was safe now.

"Marty… Marty, look at me" someone called for him, but he couldn't focus "Come on, I know you can do that. Look at me"

He knew this voice, something inside of him knew that he could trust it, that he could trust this person.

"Good, very good Marty. Do you know where you are?"

"I… doc?" his voice came out hoarse, his throat hurt like sandpaper was scratching it painfully.

Dr. Walcott noticed his patient's discomfort and passed him an ice chip "Here, take this. It will help you" he waited a moment then asked again "Marty, you know where you are?"

"Hospital" Deeks replied firmly but with feeble voice, he felt so tired.

"Good, very good" the doc smiled gently, happy to see him coherent enough "Do you know what happened?" he removed the oxygen mask and put a nasal cannula to help him breathing.

The blond detective stared in horror at the doctor, nodding unable to say anything.

Walcott patted his shoulder, lightly "It's ok" he reassured him "You're safe now. Marty, I need you to pay attention to what I'm telling you, ok?"

The cop nodded, seriously, blinking repeatedly.

"Are you in pain?" the doctor started his examination, testing his patient's reflexes.

"Throat… hurts" Deeks simply said, swallowing painfully "...and breathing too"

"It's normal, we put a tube in your throat to help you breathing for a couple of days after you get here and your lungs are still adjusting to the normal work. The situation will improve soon. Just don't try to talk if not necessary" Walcott was touching his patient's legs, feet and arms, continuing with his examination "Can you feel my hand touching you?"

Again Deeks nodded, but the doctor realized that something was not right, that Marty was not telling him everything.

"Marty, can you move your feet?"

The cop as an answer moved his feet and legs.

"Good, now can you do the same with your arms?"

Deeks' right hand lifted immediately while his left remained still, lying unmoving of the bed. He didn't say a single word, but his eyes couldn't hide the panic that was growing inside of him.

"Don't panic, now…ok? Marty look at me!" Dr. Walcott ordered him again "The poison you've been injected with is still in your system, give yourself some few more days…"

"Liar" the cops simply said, turning his face to the other side.

"Marty, tell me when I lied to you… we have a deal, don't you remember?"

Deeks slowly faced the doctor, his eyes veiled, his throat clenched in a tight vice.

"Look, I called a doctor who's a great expert of every kind of poison, he'll be here in the afternoon… he will help you" Walcott felt his patient's uneasiness, his inner pain; he wanted so badly to tell him, that he will be all right in a blink of an eye, but at the moment he couldn't. He was only able to reassure him and made him relax "Now, I think there are some people who are dying to see you, do you think I have to go and get them?"

"Ok…"

"Just promise me, you won't tire yourself and get some rest…" Dr. Walcott moved away from the bed, giving instructions to a nurse about the medical treatment to subject his patient, then walked out of the room.

Outside, Kensi, Sam, Callen and Hetty who had joined them once she found out Deeks was awake, were waiting impatiently for news.

"Dr. Walcott, what can you tell us about Mr. Deeks?" the Operations Manager stepped ahead, asking the question everyone wanted to ask.

"According to my first evaluation, he seems to be doing well, all in all. There are no signs of brain damage, he's coherent and remembers what happened to him, but he was clearly terrified when I asked if he remembered why he was here… I don't think it's been a nice experience"

"Yeah, I know… there was pure terror in his eyes when he woke up" Kensi stated, as the guilt feeling knotted her stomach.

"What about the rest? You said that you were not sure about the effect of the poison on his system" Sam studied the doctor's reaction and immediately understood from his body language that something was not completely right "What haven't you told us yet, doctor?"

"I… I checked his reflexes and his legs and right arm are perfectly functional"

"And what about his left arm?" Callen pressed as an alarm bell rang in his head.

"He told me he could feel my hand touching his, but he is not able to move it…" Walcott said gravely, before adding "But the fact that he didn't lose all the feeling is a very good sign. I'm pretty confident it's just something temporary, probably due to the fact that all the poison hasn't left his body yet"

"You think or you're sure?" Hetty asked, holding her breath. She really didn't like where this conversation was going.

"I… think, but as I told you the other day, an expert will be here in the afternoon and he'll be able to tell you more about it"

"Is he good?" Sam furrowed his brows, worried.

"He's the best in this field… trust me, Marty is in good hands" the young doctor smiled a bit embarrassed "…and speaking of Marty, he would like to see you. You can go inside, but please he better not talk too much, his throat and his lungs are still recovering"

"You can count on that, Dr. Walcott" Hetty told him thankfully.

"Yeah, I'll take care of that. If he'll start talking too much, I'll explain my point" the ex-Seal smiled broadly, but his tone was serious. He was determined to force Deeks to take care of himself, he couldn't forget the sensation he felt the moment he saw the cop's body completely unresponsive to CPR. It was something he didn't want to feel again.

"Ok, I… know you'll do" the doctor said, stepping aside "I'll call you when it'll be time for him to rest"

Kensi took a deep breath, she felt a bit relieved that her partner seemed almost good, but the fact that he couldn't move one arm, worried her. A lot.

"Are you coming Miss Blye?" Hetty saw her hesitation, reading the concern in her mismatched eyes "I think Mr. Deeks will be very happy to see you"

The female agent stared for a long moment at her boss, knowing that Hetty would probably know the way she was feeling. So inhaling deeply and giving the other woman a faint smile, she answered "I'm… coming"

* * *

So is Vika evil enough? What do you think? Just let me know...


	18. Chapter 18

I'm repeating myself here, but thank you for your support... you all made my day! I never expected to get over 100 reviews...!

Back to the story... I hope you enjoy it.

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Poisonous Path - Chapter 18

Another couple of days had passed and once again, Kensi found herself alone in the room with a very sound asleep Deeks. His condition was improving fast and he was recovering well. Dr. Bartlek, the poison expert, had told them that he was very faithful regarding the cop's paralyzed arm. In spite of the small dose of poison with which he fortunately had been injected, the substance was still partially present in his system and this was causing the undesired side effect, but the doctor was sure it was just temporary.

But Kensi was not satisfied or at least she wouldn't be until she could see her partner moving his arm by himself.

She was sitting in her usual chair that she moved on the other side of the bed, so at least she could hold his good hand while Deeks slept. A couple of times he had woken up and almost caught her with his hand in hers, she hoped he didn't notice, but she was not sure. Kensi was ashamed, she was not the kind of person who let her feelings had the best on her, but this whole story was different… this story had almost killed her partner.

She closed her eyes, hoping that the bad memories could simply go away, but it didn't work, not at all. When she reopened them, she found Deeks' blue eyes staring at her. Kensi tried to retreat her hand, but he stopped her.

"Please, don't… it's a nice feeling" he told her smiling, but there was not any malice, any double entendre in his words. He was too weak for that, too tired.

She blushed, feeling uneasy, unable to give him the right reply "I… I'm glad you like it" she said the first thing that crossed her mind, regretting it though. She didn't want to give him any wrong ideas "I… sorry, I didn't mean to…"

"It's ok Kens… I would probably do the same if the situation would be reversed" he flashed another smile, holding her hand even tightly.

Kensi, pulled her hand away, with enough strength to break the contact, getting up on her feet, upset "I rather prefer things to be reversed than watching you again in that damn bed!" she snapped, without caring about showing her own emotions.

Deeks, as a reaction, tried to put himself into a sitting position, but was stopped by a coughing fit. He curled into a ball trying to stop the pain emanating from his chest and throat "Damn it…" he murmured painfully.

"You idiot! What were you going to do?" she scolded him, making gentle circles on his back to help easing the pain.

"I wanted to… stop you from talking… nonsense" he panted, sinking back into the pillow. The bedhead had been lifted a little to prevent eventual fluid to stay in his lungs, causing him pneumonia, but right now he could not see any benefit since his chest was on fire.

"It wasn't nonsense… it was the truth" she replied still pretty upset, not with him, but mostly with herself.

"It was the truth that you… saved my life, that she took me unprepared and everything came as a surprise. I… I didn't expect her to react like she did…" Deeks tried to keep his voice steady, but remembering what happened increased his heartbeat, unsettling him "What could you have done to prevent that? You were not there"

"Indeed… I was not there, I should have been there, I should have seen it coming, but it felt so good having my friend back, that I was blind, too blind…" Kensi locked her glance on her partner's "And you almost paid the highest price… I will never forgive myself"

It was his turn to take her hand in his good one "But I'm here Kensi, I'm still here… and only because of you. Sam and Callen told me what you did" his thumbs was gently caressing the back of her hand, slowly, deliberately slowly.

God, it felt so good, the simple touch, the simple gesture sent shivers down her back… why did he have that effect on her? She bowed her head, fearing that he could sense her true feelings, her deep emotions "You would have done the same" she said trying to deflect his attention from her.

"You can bet on that…" his voice was nothing more than a whisper "But believe me, I'm glad… I am the one stuck in this place and not you…"

Kensi wanted to reply, to punch him to think that, because he was trying to protect her once again, but he stopped her, flashing one of his grins.

"At least I'm not driving all the nurses mad… they like me" he winked cunningly "You would have forced them to tie you to the bed"

She smiled, grateful that he had changed the subject of the conversation that was getting a bit too personal, a bit too serious even if she was not sure whether he had done that intentionally or not "Oh yes, I know how you are with nurses and sponge baths…" Kensi realized that her hand was still in Deeks', it had been something so natural, that made her feel so good, that she completely forgot about it.

Her partner seemed to notice it "You ok?" he asked worried.

"That would be my line… since I'm not the one stuck in that bed" she remarked, slowly and without being rude, pulling her hand away from his.

For a moment he looked hurt because of her gesture "Ok… fine" he muttered, staring at her, without taking his eyes away from her, not even for a single second.

A bit uneasy because of the deep glare, Kensi bowed her head "I'm serious Deeks, how are you feeling?" any trace of joke disappeared from her face as she asked him the question.

He bit his lower lip right before his tongue started playing with it "I'm..." there was a little moment of hesitation that said more than hundreds of words "I'm... fine"

"Oh yes and I'm Queen Elizabeth! Come on Deeks, you know you can't lie to me... I... I know you too well" without even being aware of it, she put her hand over his "It's normal to be scared... but doctors said you'll be fine and you have to believe it. You're too positive to let this thing beat you. You're stronger than this... you're..." it was her time to hesitate now "I simply know you, Deeks, and I know that you'll fight, no matter how hard it will be, you'll still fight... or you wouldn't be here right now" the last words were said softly, almost like they were whispers.

Deeks found hard not to break up hearing her words "I wish I could be as sure as you are" he turned away from her, unable to sustain her stare.

Kensi let go his hand and instinctively, she cupped his face, sensing the stubble through her fingers "Just remember what you told me once Deeks... everything is going to be fine"

He couldn't suppress a chuckle "So I'm supposed to laugh here..."

"Yes, you should do that..." she was still holding his face when the door of the room opened and Sam and Callen stepped inside, bantering as always "Hey guys..."

The two senior agents exchanged a cunning grin at the sight of the scene.

"How's our patient today?" Callen asked, watching as Kensi broke apart from her partner and sat back in the chair.

"He's.. fine" she answered casting a furtive glance at her partner, reading the embarrassment in his eyes "With some up and down"

"What's up Deeks?" Sam wondered approaching the bed.

"What do you think Sam? Would you like being stuck in a bed unable to move a single muscle because doing so you could choke yourself?" Deeks said dryly, no matter how much he tried not to think about it, this situation was frustrating for him.

"Deeks! Give yourself some time!" Kensi scolded him.

"Time... hell, we don't have enough time! She's out there, free to go wherever she can, ready to..." the cop felt his chest contracting as the air was sucked from his lungs. So he started coughing, looking for some oxygen.

Once again, Kensi was at his side, helping him into a sitting position to ease his breathing, gently massaging his back "See, this is what happens when you overdo. Dr. Walcott warned you. You have to take it easy..."

"I'm good" he panted looking at the two senior agents "Do... do you have any... news?" it took a lot of effort to him to talk, but it he couldn't help it, he had to ask.

From the dark faces that stared back at them, both Kensi and Deeks realized that their friends were not there only for a courtesy visit.

Callen took a deep breath before starting "This morning we received a call from LAPD... they found a body in a stolen car... at the parking lot outside the Aquatic park"

"It was Craig Carlsson... he's been injected with a lethal dose of morphine" Sam finished for him.

"Witness?" Kensi closed her eyes, she didn't need evidences and witnesses to know who killed Carlsson.

The team leader nodded gravely, he could only imagine what she was going through in this moment "A witness saw a tall woman wearing a black leather coat leave the crime scene some hours before the body had been found"

"At least we know she's still here" Sam tried to stay positive, finding a bright side to this whole mess.

"Yeah... and she's free to kill people right and left" Deeks added, still coughing "She's too dangerous... we need to find her" he shivered as the image of Vika staring at him, as he was lying face up, eyes fixed at the cold ceiling of Craig Carlsson's living room.

Kensi saw him getting tense, his breathing even more ragged, so she took once again his hand, uncaring of her teammates looks on her "We'll get her Deeks. I promise you... we'll stop her so she won't be able to harm anyone anymore. Even it will be the last thing I'll do, I'll stop her"

Callen and Sam exchanged a worried glance, they had never seen her so angry and so determined... and an angry Kensi, was a very dangerous Kensi.

* * *

Days passed and in spite of all the effort the team put in the task, they were not able to find any trace of Vika Gordenkova, she had simply disappeared, leaving behind herself not a single clue. They didn't even know whether she was still on the American soil or whether she got out of the country.

Kensi was feeling the weight of this situation on her shoulders; she had almost overcome the guilt that was consuming her, especially seeing the great progress her partner was doing in his recovery, so well that he had been released from the hopsital, but now the guilt had turned into anger, blinding and obsessing. She spent all of her free time looking for everything, for any detail that could lead her to her former friend, reading reports and going through hundreds of files of old cases... Without results. She was not able to find anything useful.

"Damn it!" she snapped, throwing her pencil on her desk.

"Still nothing?" a familiar voice asked her.

"Deeks, what are you..." she stopped when he saw her partner standing in front of her, stunned by his appearance.

He was wearing a dark blue pinstriped suit with a white shirt, his hair, even if still messy, was more cured and his stubble nicely trimmed. He looked stunning "What? Did I have anything weird on my face? Because you're staring at me"

"No... it's just that..." Kensi could not find the words, she had seen Deeks in a suit a lot of times, but maybe it was the light of the morning, maybe it was the way he was looking at her, she really didn't know... he looked different. On his right cheeks there were still those little scars, reminder of the explosion that had killed Alicia Flemmings, but they didn't take away anything from his look "You... you look good in that... the suit"

"You think?" he wondered smiling, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.

"Hey, you'll do good today" she told him, getting up and standing in front of him, passing a hand on the lapel of his jacket, fixing it properly "Just answer the questions, one by one... you have nothing to worry about it"

"I... I only wish I didn't have to do it. This trail couldn't happen in a worst moment" he lifted his left hand to scratch his head, but he had to stop when he remembered that it was not functional again. After long hours of rehab, he could move his arm, but his hand was still out of commission, but, according to the doctors, it will take him some few more weeks before it will be back to its complete functionality "I... I still have too many things going on my mind"

Kensi took his left hand and gently massaged it, in a gesture that had become very common, and very natural for them in the last period "You'll do great, I'm sure... I trust you" she paused locking her eyes on his "And soon, you'll be back... with us. With me, having my back"

He bowed his head, biting his lip nervously "I can't wait for that"

"I know" she said in a very sweet tone, lowering her voice. Without realizing, in fact, they had started whispering.

"Will... will you be there? In court... I..." Deeks stopped, the words that were getting out of his mouth died in his throat. He wanted to tell her that he needed her there, with him, that he needed to feel her presence, that he needed her in this moment, but he didn't want to put some pressure on her either. She didn't like to be pressed. Kensi needed to do things by her own schedule, in her own way.

"Of course I'll be there, you idiot" she punched lightly on his shoulders, smiling cunningly.

"Hey, really Kensi? I'm still convalescent!" he whined holding his sore shoulder.

"Oh God, I'm sorry... I didn't mean to hurt you... sorry" Kensi put her hands on the shoulder she had just punched and her heartbeat started running at the simple touch "Are you hurt? Do you need..."

The cop stopped his partner, his finger moved to her lips "Sshhtt... I was joking" he grinned, before adding with a sweet tone "But thank you... for caring" leaning on her, he gave her a kiss on the cheek "... and for everything" his eyes were sparkling, full of gratitude.

She was startled by his kiss, she had never expected anything like this to happen, she had never expected him to do that, not here, but it had felt good, so good. His lips had been gently and soft on her skin, like a gentle caress and for a moment, she lost herself into the deep ocean blue of his eyes. Her hand slowly moved to her own cheek "I... you're welcome..."

A whistle coming from the balcony broke the awkward atmosphere between them "Guys, you better come and see this" Eric told them, then smiling he studied Deeks' outfit "Wow Deeks... nice suit!"

Embarrassed, the two partners hardly looked at each other as they climbed the stairs that lead to Ops and when they stepped into the room they were greeted by Sam, Callen, Nell and Hetty that were already there.

"Well, well, well... if I didn't know where you were going Deeks, I'd say you were up for a date" the ex-Seal told the cop, grinning cunningly.

"Yeah, I can't deny the fact that I'm... absolutely handsome" Deeks remarked, smirking back at his teammate.

"I wouldn't have chosen a better suit for you, Mr. Deeks. You look absolutely stunning!" Hetty echoed, casting a suspicious glance at the two youngest members of her team. She saw the way they were avoiding their own eyes, the way they were trying not to look at each other.

"Thanks Hetty..." the cop noticed his boss' eyes studying him and felt embarrassed, almost ashamed, well mostly uneasy.

"Mr. Beale, can we start now?" the Operations Manager exhorted the tech.

"Yes, of course. This morning we received this report from the Interpol..." Eric played with his pad and a picture appeared on the big screen. The image of a man in a black suit floating face down in a pool.

Kensi's eyes moved to her partner, to check on him, knowing that the picture could clearly affect him, at least as much as it was affecting her. She saw him swallowing hard as his eyes blinked rapidly. His good hand was trembling, but he didn't take away his glance from the screen, not even for a single second. When she moved his attention away from Deeks, she noticed her two older teammates looking at him as well, their expression a mix of anger and concern.

"What are we looking at Eric?" surprising it was the cop who asked the question.

"This has been taken at Miroslav Vucinic's house, in Serbia just outside Belgrade" the tech said shortly.

"Vucinic's dead?" Callen couldn't hide his surprise.

"Yes, his body has been found three days ago by his secretary" Nell intervened, opening another file "He's been injected with a substance very similar to the one that has been used on..." the analyst paused, she didn't know how to say that, not wanting to allow bad memories to surface.

"The same she used on me" Deeks' voice was shockingly calm, as he was talking about something else, not about himself, but his partner knew very well it was only an act. She knew that this was his way to protect himself, in spite of the turmoil going on inside of him. "I'm good" he cut Kensi short when she looked at him, silently asking how he was doing, but his eyes said something different.

"I know" she remarked, simply brushing his arm with hers, getting just a little closer to him, to let him feel her presence, to let him know that she was there, just in case he needed her.

"Yes, some derivative of curare" Nell continued turning to face the screen, a bit unsettled by the cop's reaction. There was not the need of her IQ to understand that everything had been said and seen in the room right now, was taking Deeks back to a dark place and she didn't like to be the one who took him there "Due to his death, the local Police started an investigation and with the help of a couple of his employees who started talking freely, they brought to the surface some of Vucinic's dirty businesses. They found documents who linked him with Flemmings, payments and deposits in his and his sister's name, they found proofs of the illegal weapons trafficking with the help of Craig Carlsson..."

"And?" Kensi was anxious and her anxiety was growing, like she knew unconsciously, that there was something more to this, something that could touch her personally.

"And... they found some encrypted documents, emails and private messages, in which Vucinic asked his wife to kill Flemmings and whoever was involved in the business... he wanted to move his trafficking to another area but before doing that, he didn't want to leave behind him traces of his passage or witnesses who could lead an investigation to him" Eric explained "He payed her... $500000 for the job"

"If he got a discount because he was her husband I wonder what is her standard fee" wondered Sam curiously.

"Well, according to some of those encrypted files, it seems that she goes from 1 million dollars to 1 million and half" Nell's voice couldn't hide her shock.

"Not bad. She could have got whatever she wanted with all that money" Sam's expression was grave as she was missing something "What I don't get is how she ended up working for Carlsson"

"It was probably something planned, something her husband and she put up as a show, just to give her access from the inside..." Callen stated, his eyes fixed on the screen.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you guys, but you should see this" Eric went through his pad, looking for something specific to show the others "This is one of the encrypted messages that have been found on Vucinic's computer. It seems our dear Mr. Vucinic didn't know where his wife was when he wanted to see her to update her on the traffic business with Craig Carlsson... and this message is dated way before she got the money to kill Flemmings"

"Eric, are you telling us that Vika came here in the US before her husband started his whole business with Flemmings first and Carlsson later?" Kensi couldn't take away the bitter feeling filling her mouth, her friend, probably one of her best friends she had ever had, was such a player, someone who didn't care for anyone... maybe she had been herself a pawn in Vika's big game too.

"Yes, that's it. She started working at Carlsson Express one year and half ago while the whole business is not older than one year, at least according to when Vucinic had his first contact with Flemmings" Nell answered, nodding.

"At least we know she left the country" Deeks said out of nowhere "She killed her husband... and as she told Kensi, she enjoys doing what she does, she enjoys seeing her victims in the eyes while she is killing them. I bet she enjoyed seeing her husband die as well" once again his voice was distant, but there was an unnatural sparkle in his eyes, a tremble in his whole features.

"Mr. Deeks is right. People like Mrs. Vucinic don't like changing their modus operandi, they are like machines trained to do always the same routine" Hetty sighed heavily, she was not satisfied by the end of this case. They stopped the traffic and the leak of military information, but Poison Mary was still out there ready to kill other people, Vika was still free after she had touched someone close to Operations Manager, using Kensi for her purposes and almost killing Deeks "I don't think we can do much more about this case and for sure we are not able to do it right now. And Mr. Deeks I think you have an appointment you can't miss"

Everybody turned towards the cop who was taken by surprise "Yeah... I... I think I better get going" he tried to hide his nervousness behind a smile, but he failed since everyone in the room noticed, but no one pointed it out. They all understood it was a tough moment for him.

"Come on, I'll drive you to the court" Kensi offered, gently touching his arm.

"I... I don't think... I can take a cab" he protested timidly.

"No way, Mr. Deeks. Miss Blye will accompany you and I don't want to hear any word from you about this matter" the Operations manager ordered and everyone knew very well not to go against her.

"Ok... I... I'll see you later" the cop was buying himself some time, testimony during that trail against Tan's organization was the last thing he was looking forward right now.

"You can take the day off Mr. Deeks. Your paper work can wait a little bit more; the skyscraper you have on your desk that you call pile of reports is already high enough, it can't get too worse" Hetty grinned, breaking the tension in the room.

"Yes, right... thank you then, for the day off" he turned towards his partner "Taxi driver, please, can you drive me to my destination?"

Kensi rolled her eyes, shaking her head. Man, he did it again, changing the mood in a blink of an eye. Deeks never stopped amazing her "I don't strangle you just because you have to talk today!" her voice was firm but couldn't hide her teasing tone. She took her partner by his good arm and guided him outside.

While the two younger members of the team were out of Ops, Callen and Sam looked at Hetty, they didn't need to ask anything, she knew already what they wanted "Oh hell, get out of here you two! And keep an eye on them... and be there for them. They will probably need it after this day"

The blue eyes leader smirked openly "Thank you Hetty... so is this mean that we have the day off too?"

"Out!" she yelled, turning around and watching the screen "Oh bugger..."

* * *

So Vika is killing everyone around her... what will it be her next move?

And do you think Deeks is ready to face his "demons"? It's not going to be an easy day for him... not at all.


	19. Chapter 19

If you haven't read my previous story, Burned Out, you might find this bit a bit confusing... but it's ok, you may figure it out as well ;)

Just to warn you, the subject of thsi chapter might be a bit unsettling, I'm sorry about it... but it was functional to the story.

As always thank you all for the support and ...all mistakes are mine!

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Poisonous Path - Chapter 19

He felt his heart beating madly in his chest as he approached the witness-box. Deeks heard his name being called and after casting a last glance at his partner who was sitting beside him, he got up and started walking. It was a short distance that divided him from the witness stand, but it seemed endless to him. Memories started flashing in front of his eyes and his throat became dry, swallowing painful. "Calm down, just calm down" he told himself, but it was easier said than done. When he reached the box, his forehead was already sweaty and his good hand was shaking. He didn't even hear the words that had been said to him, the ones that asked him to say the truth... he answered mechanically, then finally he sat down, closing his eyes for a moment to collect himself and his thoughts.

The DA, Vincent Marelli, smiled at him and then started asking questions. He and Deeks had met several times in the last few days, he had heard the cop's story and he knew that his testimony was going to be decisive for the whole trial, but on the other hand very tough "Do you mind telling us your name, rank and occupation?"

"Detective Martin Deeks, of LAPD. At the moment I work as a liaison officer with NCIS" the cop's voice came out firmer than he imagined.

Kensi looked at him from her place and nodded encouragingly.

"Detective Deeks, would you be so kind to tell us what was your involvement in this operation and which was your role in it?" Marelli continued, turning his face to the jury.

"My direct superior, Lieutenant Bates, asked me to take part of this operation against the organization lead by Arthur Tan who was suspected to be involved with human trafficking. I had to go down undercover posing as Jensen McCarthy, a corrupt officer of the Immigration Office; I had to offer my services to Tan helping him to get children into the US in exchange of the right amount of money" the more he talked, the more Deeks' confidence came back and his voice was getting steadier "It took me two months before Tan started trusting me, but in the end I convinced him and so I was in" his eyes landed on two of Tan's men who was sitting beside the defender attorneys, right in front of him. Their cold glances were full of pure hate.

"And what exactly does it mean? You're being in... where did it take you? What did you have to do for him?" the DA asked calmly.

"Basically, I had to give him the papers so the kids had a clear way into the Country, making everything legal"

"Detective Deeks, what happened after the children arrived in the US?" Marelli knew that things were starting to get tough now so he tried not to be too pushy with his witness.

Deeks hesitated a moment before going on, biting his lip nervously. His eyes scanned the whole room looking for Kensi's, as she was the only person who could give him the strength to go on "The children were treated poorly, like they... were nothing; they were forced to live in small rooms with no windows, crammed like..." his voice cracked a little at the memory "It was even hard to breathe in there, some of them didn't make it, because of the heat, of the lack of oxygen, of space... because of dehydration. They were simply... goods for them" his eyes became veiled by the tears that he tried to hold as much as he could "Tan had a list of... requests from different kind of people. Some of them wanted a kid because adoption in the legal way was impossible, others wanted to use them just as slaves... some others wanted sex-slaves, boys or girls didn't matter..."

Kensi's heart melted hearing her partner's words, realizing for the first time the horror he had to go through working at this operation, especially considering how much Deeks liked children in general. Her hand grabbed the rally in front of her, clenching it tightly to control her anger.

"Tan was meticulous, he wanted the goods to be tested before selling them" the cop continued trying as much as he could to detach himself from what he was saying, from the haunting memories, but it was almost impossible "So, he offered them to his men... and whenever he was not happy of what he saw, from both side, he... did what he enjoyed the most, he used his fists, beating his men whether they didn't do a proper job, or the children if they didn't do what they were ordered to do"

"Detective Deeks, were you... forced to test the goods as well?" Marelli wanted to avoid asking this question, but he was aware that it was inevitable, that if he didn't ask it himself, the defenders would do it, using a completely different approach though.

Deeks closed his eyes, in this moment he wanted to be in any other place but here. His head was pounding, blood was pumping in his ears and his heart seemed ready to explode and he knew that his breathing was getting more irregular... but he had to force himself to stay calm, convincing himself that this was for the right cause. So inhaling deeply, he started talking "Yes, I... I don't remember how many times, but... I... I managed not to touch a single child" his good hand ran through his hair, but it was trembling so badly that the gesture seemed endless and didn't get the usual effect of quietening him "Tan was not very... satisfied by that"

One of Tan's men, the one the cop knew better, gave him a pleasured grin, as he was enjoying Deeks' distress. His dark eyes locked on the blond detective's ones while he silently told him "Boo"

Deeks almost jumped on his chair and he forced himself to take his glance away from the man.

Marelli understood that they had got to a very difficult point of the testimony, noticing the clear discomfort of the cop "Detective Deeks, would you like to take a break?"

Deeks shook his head "No, it's ok. I can go on"

The DA offered him a glass of water, giving him a gentle smile. The cop picked the glass up with a very shaking hand and slowly sipped the fresh liquid, trying to relax a bit.

"Did Tan hurt you in any way?" Marelli's voice was kind, but at the same time firm.

The cop took a deep breath before going on talking.

Kensi felt a strong vice knotting her stomach, she hated seeing her partner going through all of this, she hated seeing him suffering again. What he had been forced to live in those six months had been already bad, forcing him to re-live it was just a torture, that made it even worse for him. Her admiration for the man who worked with her every day, grew even more if possible. It took a lot of strength to go through all of this, but Deeks had made it... he had survived it. He was stronger than everyone gave him credit of.

"Yes, he... he took out his frustration and disappointment more than once on me, but in the end it was me or the kids... I didn't want them to pay"

The whole room got even more silent, everyone felt the tension and could feel the pain coming from the cop's words, the horror he had been forced to see and the nightmare those children had to live in the hands of Tan.

"Detective Deeks, what happened the day of October 3rd?"

"I... I asked my handler to close the operation several times, but he always told me that we needed more evidences, that we needed something more solid against Tan. I wanted to get out, I... couldn't go on like that" Deeks once again looked for his partner's eyes, feeling ashamed to show his weakness, he had practically begged Bates to end the mission one time, something he was not proud at all "One day Tan told me to prepare the papers for one of the biggest shipments he had ever worked on, he was talking about... more than 60 children all together. That was the big evidence we were looking for, so I informed Lieutenant Bates and he decided it was time to wrap up the case. On October 3rd SWAT squads entered Tan's compound... it lasted not more than half an hour and then everything was over"

"Detective Deeks, what happened to Arthur Tan?" Marelli pressed to give more emphasis to his words.

"He was trying to get away, using a little girl as as an hostage, as a shield to cover his retreat. I... I saw him and ran after him... I... it was just a flash, a moment, but when he saw me arriving, he pointed his gun to the little girl's head. I put my gun down, but... he pulled the trigger anyway, killing the girl... then he aimed the gun at me, but fortunately I was fast enough to pick up my weapon and to shoot him" this time he didn't hold the tears anymore and let them flow.

Kensi didn't know anything about this part of the story and was caught by surprise. How could he have survived all of this? How could a man go through all of this just because of monsters like Tan? She was not a crying person, she prided herself to be strong, to be like Wonder Woman as Deeks always told her, but in that moment she couldn't keep her walls up... in that moment seeing her partner crying, she couldn't stop herself from doing as well.

The jury could not contain the shock and their horror, some of them were crying too, others were too startled even to do that and stared mouth open at the witness-box. Understanding the gravity of the moment, the judge decided to call a 15 minutes break.

Deeks wiped away the tears with his good hand and then stood up, walking out of the room, lost in his own nightmares.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later the session reopened and Deeks was again at the witness-box. During the break Kensi had wanted to talk to him, to check on him mostly, to see how he was doing but seeing the way he had stormed out of the room, she knew he needed to be alone, for a while. So she let him be. She looked at him from her place and she only wanted to close the distance between them and be there at his side, while he was going through all of this, again. She was aware that it was not over, she had the clear feeling that the defenders were not going to let him walk out of this so easily, that they had an ace in the hole.

She cast a glance at her partner, easily reading the same concern in his blue eyes, the same fear; she smiled at him, hoping to see him smiling back. But sadly, this didn't happen. The voice of one of the defenders brought her back to reality.

"Detective Deeks, you told us a very touching story, I was... touched myself" the old man with grey hair said, smirking viciously "Who isn't touched when the life of young children is in danger... Do you like children, Detective?"

The cop furrowed his brows, not sure when the man was going "Yes" he replied firmly.

"My question is, you liked those children just because of what they were or... you saw something more in them..."

"I'm sorry, but I don't know what you mean..." Deeks felt his heartbeat quickening its pace, in spite of what he had just said, he had a bad feeling that he knew exactly what the man was implying.

The defender, whose name was Collins, moved to his desk and picked up a folder "Detective Deeks... or do I have to call you Detective Brandel..."

The cop froze hearing that name, his shoulders tensed and cold shivers ran down his back. He bit his lip nervously.

Kensi couldn't believe that the defender was taking this out, but mostly she was worried about what all of this could affect her partner, she knew how much Deeks wanted to forget this story, how much he wanted to keep it for himself or only for the people he trusted. She could only imagine what having it thrown on his face in front of strangers could do to him. She tried to reach him with her glance, but the defender was right in her way.

"Please, why don't you tell us when and in which occasion you changed your name?"

"Objection!" Marelli shouted getting up "This does not have any relevance with the case"

The defender talked directly to the judge "Your Honor, if you allow me to continue, I would like to demonstrate that maybe Detective Deeks' judgment was not so objective during this case"

The judge took one minute to reflect, then answered "Objection overruled, but Mr. Collins if I have the feeling your questioning is not relevant to the case, I will stop you immediately. Detective Deeks, please, answer the question"

Deeks had hoped for a moment that the judge could stop Collins, he didn't want to go back to his childhood, he didn't want to go back to his memories "I... I legally changed my name when I was twelve" his voice couldn't hide the panic that was growing inside of him "After... after my father was sent to jail"

"Don't be shy detective, you weren't so reluctant when you were talking about Mr. Tan"

"Objection" Marelli once again yelled, disturbed by Collins' behavior.

"Sustained. Mr. Collins please, try not to push the witness and not to be ironic in your questioning"

"Of course, I'm sorry Your Honor" Collins turned to face the cop "Let me help you, Detective. Is it true that your father was abusive, that he was an alcoholic who relived his frustration on your mother and you?"

"Yes" Deeks answered feebly, his eyes locked on his trembling hand.

Kensi felt a pang in her heart and once again she grabbed the rally with both of her hand, stopping herself from getting up and protesting. Who the hell was this Collins guy to put her partner through this?

"And is it true that you shot him when you were eleven years old?" Collins insisted, a poisonous smile curled his lips.

The crowd started murmuring and the judge had to silence them.

"Yes, but I..."

"You shot your father because he was beating you and your mother, day after day... as you shot Tan because he was doing the same with those kids, with you. You shot him because you saw yourself in those kids!" the defender's voice raised.

"No!" Deeks cried out, his expression was transfigured, his gentle blue eyes, cold as stone, even Kensi felt a shiver shaking her at the sight, reminding her of the eyes of her partner while he was pointing a gun at Callen "I shot him because he... was an evil bastard, who had hurt innocent children, taking them away from their family. I shot him because he killed a little girl just for fun. I shot him because he was aiming a gun at me... as my father was aiming a shotgun at me!" his voice was low and full of rage, ready to explode.

Collins for a moment was scared of the man in front of him, he didn't expect that kind of reaction. But he went on "Now tell me Detective" he started, stepping backwards, afraid of the man's explosion "I read a medical report here, in which it's reported that you had a mental breakdown one year ago, that you aimed a gun at one of your teammates and that you spent almost the whole year in therapy..."

"Objection!" Marelli this time couldn't stand the mistreating of his witness any longer "All of this is irrelevant to the case and these documents should be covered by privacy secret. The defenders are not allowed to have them and mostly to divulge them!"

Kensi thanked the DA for his intervention, but this didn't take away her worry, she studied Deeks' face, saw him struggling to stay calm, she could feel he was on the edge of breaking down again and this was the last thing she wanted. She got up and moved to a place where she could stare directly into her partner's eyes, where he could have a clear view of her too. She wanted so badly that he could look at her, she wanted to let him know he was not alone, that she was there, with him. For him.

"Mr. Collins, I have already warned you" the judge scolded the grey haired defender who walked closer to him.

"Your Honor, I only wanted to demonstrate that the witness was not 100% conscious of his action during the operation, blinded by his personal experience and that even now, he's not reliable in his testimony"

Marelli joined the conversation "Your Honor, Mr. Collins was trying to discredit Detective Deeks, who did his job during the operation and who was still doing his job in these days"

The judge stared at the two men, then moved his attention to Deeks "Detective Deeks, do you want to say something about this matter? I can understand it must be tough for you"

The cop looked at him with a lost expression, as he didn't know where he was and what was happening around him, then his eyes searched the room, stopping only when he found his partner who smiled gently at him. A sense of peace filled his soul and that was exactly what he needed, Kensi was everything he needed "I'm... I'm not crazy" he said tentatively, his voice unsure "And yes, I've been seeing a therapist, but I've been cleared to go back to my job and no one complained about it. I'm doing what I'm good at... as I did it with Tan. The man deserved to be stopped, to be locked in a prison for the rest of life, but his fate changed when he aimed his weapon at me... it was self-defense, as it was when I shot my father. I... I don't like killing people, but I do what it's necessary to save innocent people" he got up, standing tall on the witness-box "Now, if you have finished spitting on me, I would like to go back to my job..."

The room was engulfed by a deafening silence, everyone looked at Deeks who seemed not to realize it at all. The only person he could see was Kensi.

"We've finished Detective, thank you. The session adjourns. We'll meet again at 2pm" the judge slashed the hammer and people got up and started to leave the room.

Deeks didn't wait for anyone and walked out, without turning back for a single second, trying to leave everything happened behind him.

* * *

Kensi watched him leaving the room, she knew he was not fine, she knew he couldn't be fine after all, and when she saw him rushing into the restroom, she didn't have any doubts. Uncaring of the fact that it was the men's restroom, she followed him in there and when she was sure no one other than them was there, she locked the door behind her.

She heard him throwing up in the toilet and when the water was released and he didn't come out, she knew it was the moment to check on him. When she opened the simply ajar door, she found him on the ground, holding his legs to his chest, trembling, burying his face into his knees.

She sat beside him, putting a hand on his shoulder "Deeks..." her voice kind and caring.

He didn't move from his position, as he hadn't realized at all she was there, still shaking like a leaf.

"Deeks, look at me, please. It's me... it's Kensi" her words finally got to him, who lifted his head. She was shocked by his teary eyes, by his scared expression, by his general appearance who resembled a little scared kid. For a moment she was afraid he was back to one year ago, when she had picked him up after he had collapsed in the Mission, right after aiming the gun at Callen.

"Kensi... I..." tears flowed down his face as he was not able to say anything "I'm... sorry..."

Gently, she wiped away the tears from his cheeks with her thumbs, smiling at him "You don't have to be sorry, you did great in there" she couldn't take her eyes away from his, feeling those ocean blue orbits going deeply down into her soul "I'm very proud of you"

He chuckled bitterly "How could you be proud? I'm such a mess..."

Kensi cupped his face, it felt so good touching him, even in this situation "I am proud of you. It was not easy going through all of that, but you made it... and you put that asshole of Collins in his place. You won today Deeks, no matter how deep they were trying to push you, you came out, stronger than before. You won... against everyone and everything" she saw him fighting hard not to cry, not to show once again how weak he was, but she simply guided him to her chest "Cry, let it go Deeks, let everything go"

He couldn't hold himself anymore and started crying, his good arm hugged her as Kensi gently massaged his back, reassuring him.

"It's ok, everything is ok..." she wanted to be strong, but seeing her partner so broken, so defenseless, broke her too and without even realizing, she started crying herself.

They remained in that position for what it seemed a lifetime, until, finally, he didn't have any more tears to shed and broke apart from her. His blue eyes stared straight into her mismatched ones, a little feeble smile curved his lips "Thank you"

"That's what partners are for" she simply said while wiping away another tear from his tired face "You ruined your suit"

He couldn't stop himself from chuckling "So it seems" he didn't know why, but just being here, with her, made him feel better, it was just her presence, her scent that filled his nostrils... it was her.

"What?" she asked uneasy because of the way he was staring at her.

"You... I..." he bit his lip, as his nervousness was growing. Why did he feel this way? Maybe it was the whole morning that was taking a toll on him, that was affecting him more than it should do.

Kensi felt her heartbeat running wildly, she was there in the men's restroom, sitting next to a toilet, with the distinctive stench of vomit coming from her wrecked partner, but she wouldn't have liked to be in any other place. She saw him getting dangerously close to her, feeling his breath on her face.

"You... saved me... again" he told her, swallowing hard, moving closer and closer. His lips were almost touching hers when a heavy bang reached his ears.

The door of the restroom slammed open while Callen and Sam stepped inside holding their guns "Kensi?! Deeks?!" they yelled full of concern. They moved carefully until they arrived in front of the toilet, seeing their two teammates, sitting side by side, dangerously close to each other.

"Are you ok?" Sam asked them, putting his gun away.

Kensi looked at Deeks, smiling, and when she saw him nodding, she answered "Yes, we're fine"

"Jesus, what the hell happened here?" Callen intervened, moving his hand to his nose "You sure you're ok?"

The cop tried to stand up, tentatively, unsteady on his still shaking legs; he offered his good hand to his partner who took it and got up herself "Yes, Kensi was playing nurse Blye with me"

She looked at him, glad to see a faint smile brightening his expression; she bowed her head when she realized what her two older teammate might have thought when they had caught them in there.

Deeks, slowly moved to the sink and washed his face and mouth, then when he had done, he turned to face his friends.

Sam and Callen had a very puzzled expression and both of them were trying to process what happened to their younger teammates. The cop looked exhausted, his eyes tired as ever, while Kensi could not even stare at them.

"Do you have anything you want to tell us?" the team leader wondered, narrowing his eyes.

"I... I just had a very bad... five minutes and Kensi saved me again" Deeks admitted candidly throwing in the trash bin the paper he used to dry his face.

"But... what are you two doing here? I thought you had some work to do" Kensi changed the subject, getting out of the embarrassing moment and talking directly to her two older teammates.

"No, wait... let me guess" Deeks stopped them "Hetty"

"Yep, she thought that you might need some... company after the trial" Sam stated, flashing one of his dimpled smiles "Again, she was right"

"And when she is not?" the cop remarked smiling back, it was then that they all knew that whatever had happened to him, he was trying to get over it, in his usual way, using his humor "Look, it's been a crappy morning... and Hetty gave me the day off, why don't we get out of here and stop somewhere to get something to drink?"

"Are you paying?" Callen smirked cunningly.

"Technically, it would be Kensi's turn to pay... but I think I owe her today" Deeks' eyes once again looked for his partner's "So, it's on me. Call it a thank-you-kind-of-drink"

Kensi felt his piercing glance on her and once again, words died in her throat.

Sam turned to face his partner "What's happening here, G? Deeks is serious and Kensi doesn't reply... something is so wrong here"

Callen shook his head, guiding his friend away "I don't know and I don't want to know... it's just too scary!"

Again, the cop offered his hand to her partner "So, are you coming?"

Unsure of what to do, Kensi stretched her own hand and took his "Don't build any castles here Deeks... or I'll shoot you myself"

He flashed one of his most innocent and honest smiles, the one that always reached his eyes, brightening his whole expression "No castles, I promise" and still holding her hand, they walked outside.

* * *

I was not sure at all about this chapter, well actually I am still not so sure. I hope it doesn't look too out of the normal flowing of the story, but I thought that it was right to give an idea of what Deeks was going through... so please tell me what you think about it.

Thanks in advance!


	20. Chapter 20

First of all, I'd like to thank, once again, everyone who followed me until now, I truly appreciate it, you really made my day(s).

Now, after the last heavy chapter, this one will start in a lighter mood... but will it last? I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

Poisonous Path - Chapter 20

They found a nice place by the beach where they could have something to drink and, since it was close to lunch time, even something to eat. The atmosphere was relaxed and they were all enjoying the time off. The last period had been very tough, they had all risked their lives more than once, someone even more than others, the case had been complicated with lot of personal involvements and sadly it was still not closed. Poison Mary was still on the run and it seemed that even Eric's and Nell's combined efforts were not able to find her. The classical cherry on top had been Deeks' testimony in the trial against Tan's organization.

Some time off was exactly what the team needed in this moment.

"Do you think Hetty did it on purpose?" Callen wondered as they sat down at the table.

"Did on purpose what, G?" his partner looked at him with a frown on his face "Sending us to check on them and then have some time off? Nah..." he said ironically.

"I wonder how she does that... she's always a step ahead all of us" the blue eyed team leader continued, playing with the healing scab on his temple.

"G, stop doing that" Sam took his friend's fingers away from the old wound "It will never heal"

The whole scene made both Kensi and Deeks laugh.

"Hey, what's so funny?" Callen narrowed his eyes, sending them a wary glance.

"Oh, nothing... you just look like an old married couple" Kensi stated, chuckling.

"I wonder who's the wife and who's the husband" Deeks echoed studying intently his two friends, sensing immediately four cold eyes on him "No, wait... hey, I was just wondering, because you know... Callen... no, Sam..."

"You better shut up Deeks, while you're still in time" the female agent took one beer the waitress had just laid on the table and opened it for her partner without him even asking to her.

At the same time, Deeks added some ketchup to her burger, even if she hadn't looked at him at all.

It was Sam's and Callen's turn to smile now, they both realized the complicity the two younger members of the team had reached, probably almost unconsciously.

"What's up now?" both Kensi and Deeks said in unison, causing the two senior agents to burst out laughing.

"Nothing" the ex-Seal answered, shaking his head.

"Oh yes, as I believe this" Kensi cast a questioning stare at her partner, seeing her puzzled expression mirrored in his eyes "Come on Sam, tell me. Callen?"

"It's just fun... to see how things change with the time being" Callen told her, smiling "Three years ago you couldn't even stand Deeks' presence, now you two act so in synchrony, like you are thinking the same thing at the same time"

"I think you didn't realize you opened his beer... and you" Sam pointed his finger at the cop "...have put ketchup in her burger"

Surprised, the two younger agents looked at each other, his eyes on his beer and her eyes on the burger.

"I... I thought he needed help with the beer because of his hand..." Kensi tried to defend herself, but why did she felt the need to do that? To defend herself from her teammates' assumption? She didn't do anything wrong, she had just been nice to her partner... Nice to her partner? Oh God! Her mind rushed to that particular moment in the toilet, when Deeks had got dangerously close to her... what if their teammates hadn't shown up when they did? What would have happened? What if... no, she was just imagining things... maybe all the emotions of the past morning were getting a bit too hard on her, maybe... but what if... no, she couldn't even think about it "And hey, it's not true that I couldn't stand him" she retorted trying to shake away the river of thoughts filling her mind.

"Well, you have to admit that you weren't very... friendly" Deeks remarked, looking at her, studying her face, her expression, seeing the uncertainty in her eyes. Kensi Blye was never uncertain, she was too... yes, how was she? The cop couldn't stop staring at her, remembering how her face, her simple presence, was the only thing that had kept him sane during the testimony. He could still sense her scent, the same scent that had filled his nostrils back in that restroom... in that moment he had felt something he never experienced in ages, he felt close to someone in a way he had never even imagined to be, but that person was his partner. His badass partner. He couldn't have this kind of thoughts about her "You didn't do anything else other than mocking me since the start. I'm sure you doubted my... ability"

"No, it's not that... I... yes, a bit... but who didn't? Callen, Sam... you felt exactly as I felt. You..."

"You're walking into a mine field Fern" the cop teased her.

"Oh shut up!" she punched him, once again in his shoulder "You're lucky I don't drown you in that beer" she saw him getting tense, the smile disappearing from his face as his left eye narrowed, as usual when he was very serious, realizing that she made a mistake, using the wrong expression. She moved to touch him, but Deeks stopped her.

"I'm... good" he simply said, bowing his head not to face his friends, ashamed to read pity in their eyes.

"Hey, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that..." Kensi excused herself and in spite of his insistence, she laid her hand on his, squeezing it.

"Hey, you don't have to be ashamed. It's still too fresh, it will take time to forget about it" Callen understood the reason of the cop's change of mood. He could only imagine what it might have been for Deeks being in the hands of Vika, unable to move a single muscle and knowing he was going to drown in that pool. No wonder the man was still having nightmares about it.

"Yeah, you're... right" the cop said, chuckling bitterly, but his eyes never left his hand, entangled with Kensi's.

Sam laid a hand on his shoulder, gently putting a little bit of pressure "Deeks, look at me" his words were kind, even if he was ordering the other man to do what he had asked. He was glad to see Deeks lifting his head and facing him "You remember that you're not alone in this. We're a team, right?"

"Yes, I... I know" the cop replied tentatively, his tongue playing with his lips "Thank you for reminding it to me" he moved his eyes from one of his friends to another "Thank you all, for... everything. I... probably I wouldn't have made it through all of this without you"

"Don't even mention it" Callen told him, seriously "That's what partners are for"

"Hey, did they teach you this line at the NCIS school? Because Kensi told me exactly the same thing this morning" Deeks hadn't finished talking that he found Sam and Kensi punching in unison both of his shoulders "Ouch... Really? Ok, ok... I got it... but just for the record, now you two have to feed me because I can't use both my arms"

"In your dreams!" the ex-Seal almost yelled horrified by the idea.

"Oh yes, you can't even..." Kensi was speaking when she stopped abruptly, her eyes fixed on the other side of the street "It can't be..." she added looking at her partner first then at the same point she was staring at before.

Deeks cast a glance in the same direction right when he saw Kensi standing up, then he noticed it too "It's her!" he shouted, getting up and following her partner who was already crossing the street.

"What the hell?" Callen asked turning around. He and Sam were giving their back to street while eating so they didn't see what had startled and made their friends running "Kensi! Deeks!" he got up himself and ran after them, his partner on his side.

Kensi couldn't believe her eyes, she was here. Vika was here, in LA and she was watching them. And now she was running away from them. "Vika, stop!" she shouted at her former friend, whose red hair danced in the air at every step she made.

Deeks was right behind her partner, his heart beating madly in his chest. Vika was here, the woman who played with him and then almost killed him, was just few meters away from him. He could almost smell her scent... she was so close. He saw her turning into an alley "Kensi, follow her, I'll stop her on the other side" he said, turning into another alley.

"Good" his partner simply muttered. Almost out of breath for the run. "Vika, stop! You can't get out of here!" she was almost at the end of the alley when her former friend stopped and faced her.

"You will never stop me, Kensi... I'm sorry" Vika launched herself against the NCIS agent who was surprised by her move "I'm going to start a new life and you won't stop me" she threw a couple of well delivered punches who sent Kensi to the ground, but it was just a second; the NCIS agent got up and kicked Vika on her leg, making her stumble.

"No way, Vika. You'll pay for what you did!"

"You sure?" from her position on the ground Poison Mary dealt a double kick on Kensi's stomach "You're such a fool if you think you can stop me..." laughing she took out a gun and pointed it at the struggling agent on the ground "Say good bye to the world my dear!" an evil smile curved Vika's lips as she pulled the trigger.

Three shots resounded in the air.

Kensi was expecting the lights to go away, the pain to explode in her body, but nothing happened. Her eyes landed on Vika whose grin was fading, turning into a grimaced smirk. Her gun was on the ground and her hand bloody.

"Son of a bitch!" she said, moving her good hand to her bleeding shoulder.

Kensi realized what had happened when he heard footsteps approaching "Kensi!"

"Deeks, I'm..." she yelled but Vika's kick on her face stopped her from going on.

"Kensi!" Deeks repeated, getting closer. He saw his partner on the ground and feared the worst. Another woman was running away, unsteady on her feet. He was sure to have got Vika with his shots but he had been too far away and his aim hadn't been very good "Vika, freeze where you are!" he ordered, but the woman didn't stop. He was trying to get to her, when a car arrived at the entrance of the alley and a man stepped out of it, shooting fire support, covering Vika's retreat.

The cop had to hide behind a trash bin in order not to get hurt, but before doing it, he grabbed his partner taking her with him "Kensi, you ok?" he couldn't hide his worry when he saw Kensi's face covered with blood.

"I'm fine..." she responded a bit dizzy "Have you ever been kicked by a high heels boot?"

The cop sighed in relief, if his partner could crack a joke in that moment, she was really fine "You got me scared there" he took his head out of his cover place, noticing that the car was gone, taking Vika away from them. He laid down the gun and picked out his phone "Eric, we're at 34th street, a green Ford has just left, can you see if Caleidoscope could find it?"

"Deeks... what happened? Callen called me to find cameras in that area, but he didn't explain much" the tech asked worried, as always he hated being left in the dark.

"Eric, please do it. I'll explain you everything later. And please, send an ambulance, Kensi will probably need some stitches" the cop continued, passing a handkerchief to her partner.

"Ambulance? Deeks? Deeks are you still there?" the lack of answer was unnerving Eric.

"Sorry Eric, I have just one functional hand... Kensi is fine, but her pride is hurt... just send that ambulance, we'll update you later" he closed the communication and then turned his attention to his partner "I bet it hurts" he told her, removing the handkerchief to check on her.

"It's nothing... and as you said, my pride hurts much more" she winced when pain spread all over her face.

"Do you want me to play Doctor Deeks with you? I learnt a lot... lately" he offered cunningly.

"No way, not even if you would be the last doctor on Earth!"

"Hey, you're wounding me here" the cop got up, checking if his teammates were approaching. He knew they were just behind them.

Kensi noticed the little hurt in her partner's voice and realized she had been a bit too harsh on him "Hey" she took his hand ad forced him to kneel in front of her "I'm sorry about it... and thank you. You... you saved my life"

He smiled, one of those sweet smiles she really could not resist "You're welcome... and well, for today we're even"

She chuckled, shaking her head, regretting it immediately when her wounded mouth protested vehemently.

"Here, let me help you" gently, Deeks picked up the handkerchief and started padding the blood away. His eyes locked on hers.

Kensi felt a shiver running down her spine at his touch, at his caring attention, she was not used to this, but he could not say that she didn't like it "Thanks" she whispered between a touch and another.

"Kensi, Deeks... are you good?" Sam's voice came from behind them.

"We're good, more or less" the cop answered jumping on his feet.

"Kensi, how are you?" Callen knelt beside his teammate, checking on the bleeding mouth.

"I'll live" she mumbled, a bit upset to be the only one wounded.

"What the hell happened? What did you see?" Sam wondered raising his voice, he had been so worried when he heard the gunshots in distance.

Deeks and Kensi exchanged an angry look, nodding to each other.

"Vika was here" she said, sighing deeply.

Her partner looked at her and added "And she got away with the help of Brent Carlsson"

* * *

The pieces of the puzzle finally got together. Vika Gordenkova or Vucinic or Katy Romano as she wanted to be called, met Brent Carlsson two years ago during one of her business trips; they fell in love so Brent took her with him, as his personal assistant in his company. When Vucinic called her to tell her about his new project and about his contact with Flemmings, Vika suggested him to get in touch with the Carlsson Express to export his goods in the US and mostly, she gave him Craig's name. With the help of the Carlsson Express, Vucinic's business grew exponentially, making a fortune for him, for the Flemmings' and for Craig Carlsson.

When the Serb decided it was time to move his traffics to another part of the country, Vika and Brent thought it was their opportunity to change their lives definitely. It was her who, with subtlety, forced her husband to get rid of everyone involved in the business, first Bernard, then his sister Alicia Flemmings and in the end Craig. What Vucinic didn't know though, was that his wife was in cahoots with Brent Carlsson and this cost him his life. Vika got rid of him too and now she was free to live her new life with Brent Carlsson, enjoying her own, her husband's and Brent's money.

The interference of NCIS was nothing Vika could not deal with, she was doing this job for so long at this point that nothing could scare her. Actually, she even had fun, meeting with her former roommate and with her friends. It was like doing a jump in the past... a jump in the past that Kensi Blye didn't enjoy at all.

Two months had passed since the day in which they had the last contact with Vika and Hetty had declared the case closed, because locating Poison Mary had been practically impossible. They had no traces, no clues, nothing to cling on to continue with the research.

"I hate it!" Kensi snapped slamming a folder on her desk "We can't simply let her go... after... after..."

"After what?" Deeks asked her, getting up from his chair and moving in front of her. He was finally back to active duty after his hand had recuperate its whole functionality "After what, Kensi?" he insisted, stepping closer.

"After what she did... after she found her way back to my life, after she took me back to when I was in college, after she faked her own attempted murder with the help of Brent Carlsson... after she used me... after..." she stopped looking straight into her partner's eyes "After she almost killed you"

The cop felt his heart skipping a beat, as his mind was taken back to that day at Craig Carlsson's house, his left hand trembled as it had a life on its own, as it was the terminal of all of his nervousness. He inhaled deeply, closing his eyes for a moment "But I'm here Kensi, she tried but she didn't make it... and only because of you. You saved my life that day" he knew his words got through her shell when he saw her eyes getting teary.

"But... it was... you know I can't stop thinking about it, the more I try to get over it, the more the images of that day flash in front of my eyes. I... I will never forget what I felt in that moment, I... will never forget how I felt when I saw you in that damn pool!"

He wanted to say something, but words died in his throat.

"Deeks, the more I think about it, the more I realize she did it on purpose... she didn't have any reason to kill you, she could have just injected you with the poison and left you there, but she threw you in the pool, because she wanted to hurt me... because she knew how much... how much you meant to me" Kensi bowed her head, ashamed of expressing her own feelings.

"What... what I meant to you?" Deeks asked, swallowing hard. He knew this was not another of those funny moments in which they played around their thing; this was a serious moment and she was more than serious when she had said those words.

"Oh don't play with me... you know it. You know I care for you... you're my partner, my best friend... you're..." she paused when she felt his scrutinizing and piercing glance on her. Damn, she couldn't resist his eyes when they went so deep into her soul, like they were reading her like an open book "Hell Deeks! You're probably the most important person I have... she knew that killing you would have... hurt me... would have... broken me..." she got up and turned her back to him, unable to sustain his stare.

"Kens... I... I'm... I'm sorry..." he whispered, his voice cracking.

"You're ...sorry? What the hell are you sorry for?" she couldn't believe what she was hearing, he was apologizing. Like a fury she moved towards him, stopping just few inches from his face "You almost died because of me, because my supposed-to-be-friend is a serial killer who likes to see people in pain... because I didn't see it coming..."

"I'm sorry because I let her use me to hurt you... I should have seen that too. I'm a cop... and hell I'm even good at what I do, but... she fooled me, with her advances, with... just her being her. I should have been more focused, I should have not allowed her to hurt you... because of me..." there was so much pain, so much honesty in his words that made things worse for Kensi.

"Damn it, Deeks! Why do you do this? Why are you so... so... damn, why are so like that... hell!" she was frustrated, there was a turmoil in her mind and she could not even think straight, too many thoughts, too many feelings, too many emotions she was not able to process.

"So like what?" he smiled, flashing one of his cheeky grins as he got even closer. Their faces were so close that they could breath each other breath.

"Deeks, I... I... I can't... I..." she moved her hand to his chest, feeling his heart beating, racing at high speed.

"Kensi..." his voice nothing more than a whisper. Once again he was dangerously close, too close... once again he was leaning towards her... once again something stopped him.

A loud beep coming from Kensi's computer broke them apart. Embarrassed they both made a step away, he scratched the back of his hair, puffing heavily, while she moved slowly towards her desk. She pressed a couple of buttons on the keyboard then she said "I... put some alert, you know Google alerts, nothing too clever, I'm not Nell or Eric.."

Deeks gave her a scolding look "Don't be silly..."

"Well... there's something in the news about Brent Carlsson..." Kensi turned her laptop around showing the screen to her partner.

"Wow... Brent is dead!" he exclaimed, looking for her eyes "She... she will never stop" he murmured, mostly to himself.

"No! We will stop her. Sooner or later she will make a mistake and we'll be there to catch her. I have promised myself that I... will get her..." there was a blinded determination in her eyes, she will never be satisfied until Vika won't be behind the bars of a jail "...and I know I'll get her, even if this will be the last thing I will do. She will pay for everything she did" once again her eyes landed on her partner, no matter how much she will try, she will never get over the guilt she felt for what happened to him, for what Vika did to him.

"Wow, you're so damn sexy when you're so angry..." he told her, smirking, and she laughed at his statement.

"You're such a baby, Deeks..." she said, still smiling "I wonder what did I do so wrong to deserve a partner like you!"

"Or what you did so good..." he remarked, getting serious, his eyes sparkling like the ocean kissed by the sun.

"Oh yes... of course" Kensi shook her head, this was her partner, her best friend, her... she couldn't describe what Deeks was for her, but she knew she could not live without him around. He had found a way through her shields, he had crumbled her walls day after day, finding his way to her soul... to her heart... and she was glad of it. Because she was happy to have him around... she would be lost without him in her life.

"Am I missing something? Because you're looking at me in that way... and I'm sure I didn't do anything wrong now"

"Oh shut up!" she told him, but without her usual bossy tone. She smiled at him "I'm just happy you're... here, that you're still around me"

"Oh don't worry, I am planning to stick around for a long time!" Deeks stepped towards her, offering his hand "I have plans for the future... that will start with dinner. It's late... and we didn't get anything to eat since this morning. I bet you're starving!" he winked cunningly.

Kensi took the offered hand, squeezing it "Oh I'm more than starving... but hey... this is not... a date or something..."

"You and me... on a date? Don't worry Kensi, it will never happen... we're just two partners going out to get something to eat" he squeezed his hand back, gently, as his heart was exploding in his chest.

"Oh good... in this case, I like to get out for dinner with you" she said, unable to stop smiling.

They were still smiling as they were walking out of the mission when Deeks' phone rang "Marty Deeks" he answered without even looking at the ID of the caller.

"Hello Marty..." a familiar voice told him "Don't let Kensi know who is it..."

_Vika._ A shiver ran down his spine, she knew he was with Kensi, once again Vika was watching them "Oh... hey..." he replied with uncertain voice.

"I'm glad to see you up and running Marty... last time I talked to you, you didn't look very good"

"Oh yes" he pretended to smile "And it was your whole fault..."

"Who is it?" Kensi asked but her partner shook his head telling her it was nothing important.

"You know Marty... I'm very angry with you... actually I'm mad at you. You know that shot you took on me in that alley, well... it cost me the mobility of my arm Marty... you cost me too much!" her voice was low and venomous, she couldn't hide her hatred that transpired from every word she said "You're going to pay for this Marty... sooner or later when you'll least expect it, I'll get my revenge"

"I'll be... prepared, don't worry" Deeks told her tentatively, but his words didn't come out straight as he wanted. He looked more unsure than he wanted to appear.

"Oh poor Marty... you're still scared of me, aren't you?" Vika laughed out loud, a devilish sound that chilled the cop's bones "Have your fun with Kensi, Marty... do it until you can..." and with the last threat she closed the communication.

"Ok... bye..." Deeks played along, putting his phone away with trembling hand. He hoped that Kensi didn't see him doing it. He didn't want to worry her or to make her feel guiltier than she already was.

"Who was on the phone?" Kensi asked again, furrowing her brows.

"No one... just someone from LAPD... nothing important" he told her. But his lie didn't sound very convincing not even at his own ears.

"Deeks... please tell me. It's me, it's Kensi. You know you can tell me everything" she insisted, standing in front of him. She could see it in his eyes that the call had affected him deeply.

"Kensi, it's ok. It's nothing you have to worry about..." he told her, trying to act nonchalantly "Now, aren't we heading out for dinner?" he was looking at her, silently praying her to let the subject go.

"Ok... you'll tell me when you'll be ready to do it" finally Kensi smiled "Dinner now.. I'm starving"

Deeks let go the breath he was holding "Let's go then... I know a place..."

"Please tell me it's not one of those places you know where they only serve healthy food!" Kensi stated almost horrified.

"Healthy food? Kensi you're wounding me... I'll take you to one of the best places where they serve only highly-fat-junk food... the ones you love so much!"

"Good boy..." and with that she walked away followed by her partner.

Once they got outside, Deeks couldn't stop himself from scanning his surrounding, looking for any trace of Vika.

"Hey, you ok?" his partner asked him "You seem a bit... off..."

"I'm... good, don't worry"

"Deeks..." Kensi didn't add anything else, she simply lifted her eyebrow while staring at him.

"I... I was just thinking about what you said... about Vika..."

She cast him a skeptical glance "And..."

"Whatever you'll do to get her, I'll be on your side... as always" he was serious, too serious and his partner knew something was bothering him.

"Ok... but you shouldn't have to tell me, I knew that already" Kensi gave him one of her gentler smile "I know you'll always have my back... as I will always have yours"

"I know" he simply told her nodding "It's good to know" Deeks knew he had to stop being scared of Vika, that he could not live a life always watching behind his shoulders. He will find her... Kensi and he will find her and they'll stop her, no matter how much it will take them, they will do that. Together. "Ok partner, let's go to have dinner"

"I thought you never said that..." Kensi jumped into her car and when Deeks was inside it too, she drove away.

* * *

In distance, from a safe spot away from indiscreet eyes, a redheaded woman sitting into a black car watched them leave. She smiled as her green eye sparkled full of hate. She pointed her fingers to the silver car leaving the parking lot "Bang!" she pretended to shoot "Enjoy the moment Marty... because soon I'll have my revenge... soon you'll be dead" an evil laugh resounded in the car before Vika Gordenkova turned the engine on and drove away in the opposite direction.

The end... for now.

* * *

A/N: And this is it... I know I left you hanging with the whole Vika's situation, but I felt that this story had exhausted his natural arc. My sick mind though has already a sequel planned... so be prepared, but first I would like to finish the story I'm writing in these days. So I hope you'll have the patience to wait for me and that you're not too disappointed with the way this one ended.

It's been a long journey, but I hope you enjoyed it, at least as much as I did. Thank you all!


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